Genesis
by sweetsugarpea
Summary: [Chapter 3 Edit] Tokyo is no longer safe. Corruption, drugs, and violence fill the streets as a demon from Kenshin's past rises once again to threaten the hard-won peace he had fought for ten years ago. Now to protect the world he had helped to create, he must once again raise his sword to bring about the flood. [Modern AU]
1. I came in from the wilderness

**I am the worst kind of person. Here I am, starting a new fic when I already have two more uncompleted works already published. I know that I owe you all an update for **_**Solitude**_**, but I couldn't focus on my projects for that until I got **_**this**_** out of my head and onto some paper. I am so, so, **_**so**_** sorry. Hopefully you all will enjoy it and bear with my atrocious update schedule.**

**As always, a huge thank you to my readers and reviewers. Your feedback makes my day!**

_**Disclaimer:**_** I do not own Rurouni Kenshin. If I did, I would be demanding not only an animated Jinchuu Arc but a live-action one as well, because I'm greedy like that.**

* * *

"_And it rained upon the earth forty days and forty nights."_

_-7:12_

* * *

It's everywhere.

It's seeping into his clothes, into his hair, into the ground; anywhere but back into his skin. The rain is torrential and roaring like gunfire off of the lids of metal trashcans. It makes his already aching head throb and distorts the gray-scaled world around him. It's hard to hear anything over the rainfall and his own ragged breathing so it's impossible to tell if he's been followed. It's a miracle that he'd managed to outrun them as long as he has to begin with.

The only thing that he can focus on is the sound of the pouring rain, the pulsating blood in his ears, and the loud groan of hunger his stomach gives. Between the hunger pains and the blood loss from his arm, it's difficult to keep steady. The world tilts on its axis, off and spinning like a top. His vision swims and he staggers, smashing against the rough brick wall and collapsing onto a pile of trash behind a dumpster. He struggles to push himself up onto his arms but the effort makes his abdomen scream in protest and he falls back down, hard, onto the pavement.

The freezing rain feels like shards of glass against his back as he tries to catch his breath. It comes in short, broken gasps that puff out like smoke from his split and bleeding lips. The small portion of his mind that is still coherent enough to form thought shrieks for him to _move_, now, _or you're going to die!_ But it's a small enough thought that it's easy to ignore, and he instead focuses his hazy amethyst gaze on the way the murky red dripping from his arm bleeds into a rusty pink in the puddle beside him. The pavement is like ice against his cheek, the cold creeping into his veins and freezing his blood. It's not a pleasant end, he supposes, but it's one that he feels is well deserved.

The wind raises a din and the rain continues to pelt down on him like blades of judgment. In silent concession, his eyes fall shut and he dreams of wilting camellias.

* * *

**Genesis**

* * *

Kaoru tugs uselessly at the thick woolen scarf tangled around her slender neck in a vain attempt to stave off the chilling wind. Usually she revels in the rainfall and the cathartic renewal it brings, but tonight it is miserable and relentless and she curses under her breath about the luxuries of automobiles and takeout. Granted, the walk to the store is not far by any means. It's only about a block down the street from her flat; her morning jog easily covers over three times the distance. However, with the rain battering down the way it is, she is less than enthused about having to lug home groceries.

On her way down the street she passes a small _yatai_ that stubbornly refuses to close despite the weather and the scent of fresh _oden_ that floats on the cold air makes her stomach grumble jealously. Even though she's lived alone since she was seventeen, Kaoru's cooking skills are tremendously underwhelming. The memory of this morning's charred fish and half-cooked rice make the idea of sitting down at the food stand an incredibly tempting one, but a quick reminder as to why she's pinching so much to begin with gives her the willpower to continue on.

_Only a little more until I have the down payment,_ Kaoru thinks, patting her stomach. The wind nips at her face and tugs at her umbrella, so she quickens her pace as her mind wanders to the small building that she's put all of her hopes and paychecks into. If suffering through her own abysmal cooking skills for a while is what it takes to realize her father's dream, she thinks determinedly, then so be it.

A particularly strong gust of wind bellows down the street, tearing Kaoru's attention from her thoughts and her umbrella from her hand. It dances away from her reach and down a side alley where it tumbles along the pavement until finally settling in a dirty puddle beside a dumpster. The twenty year old clicks her tongue in an annoyed fashion, running a hand through her hair. In the few moments that she's been without her umbrella, it's already soaked and sticking like cling wrap to her cold-flushed cheeks.

"_Wonderful_." She mumbles.

The umbrella is a loud pop of yellow against the rain-drenched backdrop of the alleyway, so it's easy to spot amongst the piles of trash surrounding it. Kaoru makes it over to the umbrella in a few short strides and scoops it up, shaking it out to get the off the grime and—

_Blood?_

Kaoru stares at the rusty red stains splattered across the canary yellow plastic, confused because that can't possibly be— and then the smell hits her. Beneath the saturated smell of ozone there's a lingering stench of copper. It's a smell that she is intimately acquainted with from being clumsy in the kitchen and careless during kendo practice. It's dulled from the rainfall, but there is no mistaking it.

"What in the—"

She looks down towards the puddle that she had just retrieved her umbrella from and sure enough, it's tinged red and reeks of metal. Kaoru's heart nearly stops when she notices a pale, slender hand sticking out from behind the dumpster.

"Oh my God!" She cries, dropping her umbrella and rushing over. She shoves some garbage out of the way and tosses a couple of trash bags behind her before she can clearly see who is beneath the rubbish. Her hand shoots to her mouth in shock.

The man is young with tangled auburn hair that falls free from the thick piece of string tying it back at the nape of his neck. He's dressed in a pair of tattered denim jeans and a patchy brown coat with a deep purple scarf, all of which are soaked through with water and blood. Between the mud and layers of clothing, Kaoru can't tell where the source of the bleeding is coming from. She's careful as she turns him over to examine his face. It too is covered in blood, dry and crusted beneath his nose and down his chin and over his eye. If it wasn't for the short, shallow rasps of his breathing, Kaoru would have thought he were dead.

"What happened to you?" She asks, trying to help him sit up. The man makes a weak groan of pain, but otherwise is unresponsive. She furrows her brow, concern knotting in her gut.

"Don't worry, you're going to be alright. Help will be here soon," Kaoru rattles, frantically feeling around for her cellphone and swearing when she realizes it's on her coffee table at home. She looks down at the wounded man, biting her lip. It's a half an hour's walk to the ER and from the man's state, she doubts he could make the walk even if she carried him. In comparison, her home is barely five minutes away. Her decision takes little thought.

"I'm gonna get you out of here, but you're going to have to walk for a bit, okay?" She says, trying once again to get the man to sit up. He makes a weak, wounded sound as she gets him up and his good arm around her shoulders. "Okay, on three. One, two…_three!_"

* * *

The stairs prove a feat equal to scaling Kilimanjaro with the weight of the stranger on top of her. Despite the slouch of unconsciousness Kaoru can tell that even at full height the man wouldn't be much taller than her five-foot frame but even then he's far from light; she can feel the wiry muscle coiled beneath the fabric of his drenched jacket. She can feel the violent way he shivers too, and it only spurs her on as she struggles to get him up to her apartment and out of the cold.

"Hang on, we're almost there." She says, fishing into her pocket for her keys. He's coughing to the point of fits and Kaoru curses her nervous, trembling hand as it takes her three tries to actually get the key in the lock. After a couple of moments twisting the key this way and that, the old deadbolt groans and she pushes the door open with her hip, maneuvering them both inside.

The man collapses onto the couch and Kaoru runs to slam the door shut from the groaning wind, flipping the lock back into place. The small apartment goes quiet again save for the muffled sounds of the storm and her guest's labored breathing. She presses her back to the door, hair dripping into her eyes as she watches the rise and fall of his chest. The air in the room feels heavy, as if a miasma has diffused around them. It fills her nose with copper and her bones with a restlessness that she's unable to read, and it stills her. It's the quiet _drip_ of the water from his jacket sleeve onto the floor that stirs her from her trance, and Kaoru hurries to grab the first aid kit from her bathroom.

When she returns a moment later with the kit and an armful of towels, his breathing has slowed to a fretful slumber that furrows his brows beneath his soaking locks. Kaoru frowns and fills a bowl of water in her kitchen before finally settling down on the floor beside him and taking to the task of cleaning the caked-on blood from his face. Kaoru is gentle as she dabs at the gash above his right eye. It's an aggravated cut that has just barely begun to scab over and like the split on his lip it begins to bleed again at the lightest of attentions.

Kaoru is surprised to see that beneath the blood and dirt, the man is actually fairly handsome. He has a regal, almost feminine build to his face with high cheekbones and bowed lips, but the solid line of his jaw and the point of his chin hints to a subtle masculinity. He looks to be about her age, maybe even younger, but she cannot pinpoint the exact number with confidence. Her eyes drift towards an old bandage plastered on his left cheek. It looks out of place on him; a foreign, dingy brown against the alabaster of his skin.

She reaches for the bandage and lets out a surprised shriek when his hand clamps down around her wrist, cold as ice and just as rough. Kaoru looks to his face to see the two blooming violets of his eyes staring at her, wide with an almost animalistic panic.

"It's alright!" She says quickly, holding up her other hand to show him the dirtied towel. "I want to help you."

His eyes are unblinking, shifting from her own to the towel and back again. He holds her gaze for a long moment, one that makes her feel small and bare and awkward, before they finally slide closed again and he relinquishes her wrist with an almost relieved sigh.

"Forgive me," He rasps. "One was startled, that I was."

Kaoru sits beside him, stricken speechless by the velocity of his demeanor's shift. She regains her wits, shaking her head with a nervous laugh. "I should be the one apologizing. I mean, I don't blame you for panicking when you woke up. I probably would too if I woke up in a strange place."

"You are very kind," He says, eyes fixed on the back of the couch. "But you did not need to assist this one, that you did not."

"Well it's not like I'm just going to leave you in some alleyway to bleed out!" She argues, gesturing to his bloody clothing. "Speaking of which, can you sit up a bit? I want to see your arm. It looks like you've been bleeding pretty heavily but I can't see it with your jacket in the way."

He stares at her with mild shock and then down at himself before quietly acquiescing. With a bit of difficulty he is able to sit up to shrug out of his coat and untangle the scarf around his neck with his good arm. The thin cotton shirt beneath it is just as drenched as the rest of his clothing, and Kaoru scolds herself for blushing at the thought that she was right about his musculature. It clings to his skin to show off the cut lines of his abdominal muscles and she quickly averts her eyes to his arm to inspect the damage.

A long, angry-looking cut trails from beneath the short sleeve of his shirt down across his bicep. The skin around it is pink and puckered, speaking of an old wound that has been denied the chance to properly heal. It looks like a cut from a blade, but Kaoru avoids asking about it when she notices the way he pointedly avoids looking at her as she examines it. Instead, she grabs the rubbing alcohol from her kit and sets to work.

"This might sting a bit." Kaoru warns before pressing the cloth to his arm. If it actually causes him any discomfort she cannot tell, for his face is schooled into a careful mask that betrays nothing save for his wariness. She risks a glance up at him from the corner of her eye to see him watching her. They're bright in the dim lighting of her living room and she bristles under their intensity. Kaoru looks down to the first aid kit and pulls out a gauze roll. "You know, you can relax a little. I don't bite."

She feels him jump somewhat, as if surprised. "Forgive me," He says again. She looks up at him and offers him a teasing grin.

"There you go apologizing again. Is that all you can say?"

His eyes look almost melancholy, offering her a small, hollow smile of his own. "No, but it seems like it's all this one is ever able to do, that it is."

Kaoru frowns slightly at the feeling that she's somehow encroached upon something terribly personal. They fall into silence again as she slowly wraps the bandages around his bicep.

"By the way, I'm Kaoru." She offers. _Names should be safe_, she assumes.

The man looks at her with those eyes again, and his smile is a little softer when he responds, "This one is named Kenshin. Himura Kenshin."

"Kenshin," She repeats, trying out the roll and slide of it on her tongue. It falls from her lips comfortably, as if she's said it a thousand times already. Kaoru's grin widens, tying off the bandages. "It's nice to meet you."

"The pleasure is mine, Kaoru-dono." Kenshin says, bowing his head respectfully.

Kaoru smiles, and she decides that for all of the hesitation in them, she rather likes his eyes. Collecting the towels before standing up, she heads to the bathroom to deposit them in the hamper. "I'll run you a bath so you can clean up a bit while I cook something, okay? I'll leave some fresh towels and a change of clothes on the sink." She calls.

"That really isn't necessary, Kaoru-dono, that it isn't!" Kenshin protests, coughing into the crook of his elbow. "You've already done more than this one deserves, that you have!" She appears behind him, leaning over the back of the couch to eye him skeptically.

"Don't give me that. You're coughing up a lung and you're covered in mud, blood, and who knows whatever else was in that alley! You need to get cleaned up and out of those clothes before you catch your death."

"Oro? But this one couldn't—"

"You can, and you will! Now wait here while I go find you something to change into."

Kenshin opens his mouth to refute, but at Kaoru's fixed glare, he closes it meekly. Satisfied that he'll comply, Kaoru ducks into the guest room to dig through the boxes of her father's old clothes.

The spare room is more of a storage locker than a guest bedroom, piled high with boxes and pieces of furniture that have no other place in the rest of the flat. Kaoru manages to find the boxes of her father's clothes stacked in the corner behind her grandmother's bureau. It takes a few minutes to figure out which box has all of his winter clothes, but once she finds it she pulls out a sweater and a pair of pajama pants.

_It's a good thing that Father was never a large man,_ she thinks with amusement. Despite his muscle, Kenshin is as thin as a rail. _I hope these fit him._

Kaoru runs her thumb over the fabric of her father's sweater, frowning. It's been almost four years since his passing, but the loss still feels raw. The sweater in her hands had been one of his favorites, a gift from her for one of his birthdays. It was a little stretched around the collar, well worn and soft. She hopes that he doesn't mind her lending it to someone she had just met, but then again it was he who was the one who had taught her to always protect and care for those who couldn't for themselves. With a small smile, she bows her head and seals off the box before returning to the living room.

* * *

Kenshin sits on the couch, shifting restlessly as his eyes drift around the apartment. It's a simple place with a cream carpet and light blue walls, aged ink scrolls dispersed between the small clusters of picture frames. On any other piece of furniture that he isn't occupying lays a handful of clothes and other odds and ends. The coffee table is covered in books, takeout menus, outdated magazines, and a somewhat outdated cellphone. The shadows in the corners of the room seem to creep into focus like diluted watercolors. It's a cozy enough place, he figures, but it feels cold. Like one day someone had just simply walked out and had taken the warmth with them. He eyes a wilting orchid plant on the windowsill with sympathetic eyes.

"Here we go! I know they may not fit perfectly, but they're better than nothing, right?"

Kenshin turns his head to see Kaoru-dono standing at the other end of the couch, presenting him with the bundle of clothing in her hands. She's smiling at him again, the indigo of her eyes bright in the dim light. It's strange, he thinks, how a girl who seems so happy and welcoming can live in such a lonesome home.

He takes the clothes from her and she trots off towards what he can assume is the bathroom, which is confirmed when he hears the groan and creaks of the plumbing roar to life. Kenshin hears her shout something to him about the shower's handle being finicky, but he isn't entirely sure what she says because it's soon muffled by the sound of the bathtub filling.

Kaoru-dono returns to his side soon after and grips his arm securely to help him off the couch. It's a bit of an effort, but after a few seconds Kenshin is up on his feet. He sways a bit but catches himself enough to wander down the short hallway towards the direction he hears the running water coming from. She calls after him cheerfully to take his time and that she'll have dinner ready for him as soon as he's out.

Really, this woman is too generous.

Kenshin finds the bathroom and locks the door once inside. The small room is humid from the bathwater, steam swirling around the ceiling and condensing on the mirror above the vanity. He looks at himself in the mirror and finally understands Kaoru-dono's concern. He looks ghastly standing there in his soaked clothing, his skin ashen and smudged with what dirt his hostess hadn't gotten off already. The dirty bandage on his cheek stands out in stark relief against his pallor. The bags under his eyes are a dark, dusty purple that has even Kenshin questioning how long it's been since he's had a decent night's sleep. His hair is in no better shape; his auburn bangs are caked with dried blood from the split above his eye and it makes them stick to his hunger-sunken cheeks.

Shrugging off his jacket had been remarkably easy in comparison to trying to pull off his t-shirt. It's soaked through and clings to him greedily and his arm burns with strain when he tries to lift it over his head. Luckily his pants are much easier to deal with, and soon after depositing the clothes in the hamper as told he's standing in the shower area fidgeting with the knobs.

At first the water spurts out in a freezing downpour that makes him jump, but after a couple of seconds it's coming down in a near-scalding stream. He takes the bar of soap from amongst Kaoru-dono's toiletries and lathers his hands before thoroughly scrubbing his hair for the first time in much too long. Satisfied that he is no longer at risk of his hair matting, he proceeds to wash the rest of the gore from himself before shutting the faucets off and climbing into the tub. The water is close to boiling and it stings his open wounds, but the heat feels so wonderful on his stiff muscles that he only lets out a relieved sigh.

In the warmth of the bathwater, Kenshin's mind begins to pick up speed again. It runs through the last few fuzzy memories over and over again, trying to remember if anyone had followed him; the last thing he needs is someone to come looking for him. Unease sits in his stomach like a coiled snake at the memories of the fight that had left him in such a state. If he had only had his sword—his hand fists against his legs, split knuckles stinging.

_There is no purpose in pondering the what-ifs;_ he can hear Shishou saying in that thundering baritone of his. _All one can do is accept one's reality and learn to work with it and if at all possible, around it._

And he is right, of course, although Kenshin would rather bite a hole through his own tongue before adding to his master's already inflated sense of self. There is no purpose in cursing the fact that he had been caught without his trusted blade. The only thing Kenshin can do is to hope that he never sees those lowlifes again. And if he does, be ready for them.

Kenshin sinks down farther into the tub, closing his eyes. How long has it been since he's had the luxury of a soak? _Too long_, his muscles all but shout at him. His back and shoulders have been tense for so long that to feel them loosen seems almost uncomfortable. He reckons that sleeping on benches and propped up against trees will do that.

Kenshin opens his eyes again to stare at the ceiling as he rests his head back on the edge of the tub. The steam of the bath floats along overhead, curling like tendrils of smoke in the yellow light of the fluorescent bulbs. The smell of Kaoru-dono's jasmine soap hangs in the thick, humid air and makes his head feel light. In the haze of the floral perfume, his mind drifts to lighter memories, more recent memories—such as the ones involving the benevolent young lady he hears singing somewhat off-key to the radio just down the hallway.

What kind of young woman brings not only a stranger, but a man into her home, alone, in the middle of the night? It's a terribly risky thing to do, especially in a city like Tokyo with all of the crime that's been cropping up lately. He wonders if she does this sort of thing often; going out later at night by herself, with no one to greet her at home or wait for her safe return. How long would it take someone to notice that she had gone missing? A day? Two days? A week?

He thinks to the girl from earlier that night, screaming and crying as the group of thugs tried to tie her up. What would have happened had he not shown up and fended them off, had managed to give her an opening to escape? A sickening feeling rolls in his stomach. He knows _exactly _what would have happened: She would have been beaten, raped, sold to the traffickers who have begun to fester in the underbelly of Tokyo.

Kenshin remembers the girl's tear-rimmed eyes as he tore the cloth gag from her mouth, wide and terrified. Then, his mind replaces the girl's chocolate brown eyes with a luminous indigo, substituting her free-flowing locks with a long raven ponytail. The image makes his stomach lurch and he jolts up so quickly that he feels the cut on his arm reopen, water splashing everywhere. The blood from his arm spirals through the rippling water like a drop of ink. He watches it spread until it's diluted completely before he tries to stand. He decides that he's had enough of his soak.

He towels off with one of the soft lavender towels that had been stacked on the counter and slips on the clothing that Kaoru-dono had given him; a rose red sweatshirt with a stretched out neck and a pair of charcoal grey sleep pants that faintly smell of mothballs. The sleeves are a little long and he has to double-knot the drawstring on the pants, but that's almost expected given his short stature. Overall, though, nothing is too bad of a fit and he soon exits the bathroom to the smell of burnt fish.

The apartment is now lit with a couple of lamps, making it easy to see as Kenshin follows the scent down the hall to the small open kitchen. He spots Kaoru-dono bent over a smoking pan, frantically trying to correct her mistake and he can't help himself from smiling. She's changed into a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt that's almost comically large on her. The kanji for 'bad', _aku,_ is emblazoned across the back of it, and he almost snorts at the visual oxymoron.

It's amusing to watch her bustle about the kitchen, and he's surprised to notice that somehow the lonesome atmosphere of the apartment has all but evaporated around his hostess' lively attempts at cooking. She's like a candle, flickering and excited and casting her warmth in all directions. It's a nice change, he thinks.

After a minute of standing there he figures that if she hasn't noticed him yet then she won't, so he clears his throat.

"Kaoru-dono?"

* * *

"Crap, crap, crap, crap, _crap_," Kaoru mutters, frantically trying to pry the two scorched fish from the frying pan with her spatula. She had called Doctor Oguni to explain the situation that had unraveled on her way to the store, but in the midst of their conversation she had managed to completely forget that she had dinner on the stove. She frowns down at the charred mackerel and grabs the bottle of soy sauce from the counter. "Maybe if I add some of this…"

"Kaoru-dono?"

Kaoru spins around on her heel to face Kenshin, who is fresh from the bath. He's looking at her quizzically, something akin to mirth in his blue-violet eyes. Embarrassment floods her cheeks as she sees him eye the frying pan in her hand. She laughs sheepishly. "I'm sorry about dinner, I was on the phone and got a bit distracted."

Kenshin smiles and raises a hand, shaking his head. "No trouble at all. This one is sure that Kaoru-dono's cooking will be delicious."

"I doubt it," Kaoru blushes, turning away to add a few more shakes of soy sauce before putting them on plates. She turns to set it on the table and gestures for him to take a seat. "Let me get you some rice."

True to form, when she opens the lid of the rice cooker she sees that the rice is overcooked to practically the consistency of _okayu._ Her scowl only deepens when she tries to scoop some into the bowl and it comes out as one large, steaming clump. _What a first impression to give_, she thinks, _a woman who can't cook to save her life._

"I'm afraid I'm not very gifted in the kitchen." Kaoru apologizes, turning around to set the serving bowl of rice on the table. "I even managed to screw up the—" Her eyes widen like saucers when she turns and sees him all but devouring the charred fish. She fills a bowl of rice and sets it down beside him, which Kenshin wastes no time in digging in to. By the time that Kaoru even sits down with her own bowl, his dishes are picked clean.

"Wow, nobody's _ever_ eaten my cooking like that before." She muses. "You must have been starving." She means it as a joke, but she can tell from the embarrassed flash in his irises and the hollowed appearance of his cheeks that it's probably true. Guilt settles heavier in her stomach than her mediocre food does.

"This one apologizes for his manners," Kenshin says, bowing his head with bashfulness. "Regular meals are not exactly…common for a wanderer, that they are not."

Kaoru frowns and immediately sets to refilling his bowl, piling it high with overcooked globs of rice. Kenshin's eyes widen and as his mouth opens to protest, but she cuts him off. "Nobody in the Kamiya household goes hungry! As long as you're under my roof, you're going to eat as much as you like, you hear me?"

Kenshin still looks like he wants to argue but the promise of food must seem like too good of an offer for even the humble man to refuse, because all he says is a quiet "_Thank you_," before picking up his chopsticks.

She smiles, settling back down to continue eating her own food. Taking a bite, though, she grimaces. _Too much soy sauce._ She pushes her plate away to focus on her rice instead.

"So I was on the phone with a family friend of ours who is a doctor. I told him what happened and he offered to come by tomorrow to give you a proper checkup." She says, taking a bite.

Kenshin looks up from his bowl and blinks. "Oro?"

"His name is Oguni Gensai. He was a good friend of my father's from their days back in the military. Oguni-sensei was a medic and my father had a penchant for getting himself hurt during training," Kaoru grins wistfully. "So being a regular in the medical unit, naturally they became friendly."

"Your father was part of the military?" Kenshin asks, curiosity piqued.

Kaoru nods. "He was, before I was born. He was a member of the Ground Self-Defense Force. That's why he had come to live in Tokyo; he was part of the First Division of the Eastern Army that's stationed over in Nerima. My family is originally from the Kanagawa Prefecture."

"I see."

"Mm. Oguni-sensei was in the medical service, and his retirement happened to be around the time my father's service was up. They stayed in touch, so I've grown up with him being like a grandfather to me."

"Ah. So what did Oguni-sensei say to this situation, if one may ask?"

Kaoru grinned, picking at her rice with her chopsticks. "He said that I was truly my father's daughter."

"One would imagine him to be a man of incredible character to raise such a gracious daughter, that he must be." Kenshin smiles. Kaoru blushes and straightens her posture with pride.

"He really was." She beams. "He's the one who taught me the importance of protecting those around me when they themselves cannot. That if I can, I should do everything in my power to help."

"Is that why Kaoru-dono decided to help this one?" He asks.

Kaoru nods. "It is. I can't sit by and watch others suffer if I can do something about it. It's not how I was raised."

Kenshin smiles again, but somehow it seems troubled. "Kaoru-dono is truly a very kind person. A very trusting one as well, to welcome a stranger such as one's self into her home so openly." He meets her eyes and she shifts, somewhat uncomfortable under his serious gaze. "One cannot help but feel concern for you, however. Tokyo is not a very safe city, and neither are its residents."

Kaoru huffs. She doesn't need a lecture on misplaced trust; she had already gotten it from Oguni-sensei when she had called. _You are a kind soul, my dear. Just like your father,_ he had told her, _but you must exercise caution when you take on endeavors such as this._ _Not everyone is safe_. After her insistence that she did not need him to come and stay as well, he had relented with the promise that she'd lock her bedroom door tonight.

"I can defend myself just fine," She argues. "And it's not like I'm just going to let any old heathen come slinking into my home. I like to pride myself on thinking that I'm a pretty good judge of character." She eyes his concerned face, irritated expression melting away as the corners of her lips quirk up. "And my gut tells me that _you,_ Himura Kenshin, are a good guy."

Kenshin bows his head again, his bangs falling in his eyes. They're still damp from the bath and slightly curly as they dry, and Kaoru can't help but to think that it's a lovely shade of red. After a moment he looks up again, bearing a modest smile of his own.

"Kaoru-dono really is too kind." He says.

She puts her chopsticks down with a smile and begins to clear the plates from the table once it's evident that Kenshin has had his fill. She sets them in the sink and fills the basin to allow them to soak before turning on the electric kettle for after-dinner tea. It's a surprisingly comfortable silence that they sit in as she waits for the kettle to heat up, the pop music from the radio on the windowsill floating quietly through the room.

"So how is your arm doing?" Kaoru says at last, setting a cup down in front of him. Kenshin perks up, looking at the tea and then to her as she sits down across from him. She nods towards his arm, which he rubs with his left hand.

"Much better after Kaoru-dono's treatment, that it is, although it started bleeding a bit in the bath." He admits, taking a long sip. Kaoru sucks her teeth.

"I figured it would since I only used a gauze roll. Let me re-bandage it." She gets up to grab the first-aid kit that she had thrown on the kitchen counter and goes to kneel down next to him. "Just slide your arm out from the sleeve and I'll do it. How are the butterfly sutures holding up on your eyebrow?"

Kenshin waves her off. "They're still good."

Kaoru is glad to find that his skin is no longer cold to the touch. It's actually a rather comfortable heat, like standing close to a fireplace. Momentary concern has her wondering if it's because he has a fever so she looks up at his cheeks to look for a telltale flush. Satisfied to find none, her eyes settle on his left cheek as she winds the bandages around his bicep.

"Why don't you let me change that bandage? If you keep that old dirty one on there it's going to get infected."

Kenshin's hand shoots up to his cheek and he turns away. "Do not worry yourself with this."

"Why not?"

His eyes dim a bit, as if lost in thought. Kenshin's thumb strokes across the bandage and he hums. "Because there is no worry of infection. It is a wound long since healed." He explains. "Rather, it is more of…a memory now, so it is."

She stares at him for a long while before she nods and averts her eyes. "I see. Well then, you can put this on after I go to bed if you wouldn't like me to see." She says quietly before rummaging in the small kit. He raises his brows when she thrusts a large, new bandage in front of his face. He looks at her with genuine surprise and she offers him what she hopes is an encouraging smile. "I mean, we all have things in our past we'd rather not talk about, right?"

Kenshin simply stares at her in what appears to be disbelief. Kaoru shifts her weight uncomfortably from one knee to the other as she waits. Just when she's ready to put it away and apologize, he slowly reaches out to take the bandage from her. His eyes are obscured by his bangs again, but she can see that he's smiling.

"Yes. Something like that."

* * *

Kenshin lays on the couch later that night after finally being able to convince Kaoru-dono to stop apologizing for the inadequate state of her guest bedroom. _It's been so long now since I've needed that room that I just use it like a closet,_ she had explained. He had laughed good-naturedly and taken the large stack of blankets and pillows from her with the assurance that the couch is still a vast improvement from his usual sleeping arrangements.

Curled up in a slew of comforters, he watches the ceiling fan spin lazily overhead and the shadows it casts on the walls. The storm has settled down to a steady patter of rain that muffles the sounds of the city nightlife that Kenshin is so used to falling asleep to. To be honest, he finds it difficult to fall asleep with a full stomach and comfortable surroundings. It's not something he's accustomed to and from what experience has always taught him, new things are bad things.

_Kaoru-dono is far from bad_, he chastises himself. _Compared to this unworthy one, she is like a bodhisattva. _

It's strange to think that such a soft, compassionate person has such calloused hands. He noticed them when she was re-bandaging his arm after dinner. The bath had warmed him enough for him to feel the gentle scrapes of her hardened skin against his, and it makes his curiosity towards the young lady grow.

He turns over to his left side so as not to aggravate his newly bandaged arm and groans quietly. His stomach aches from where one of the thugs had kicked him in the solar plexus, so he has to stop and inch himself over slowly. He pauses when a picture catches his eye on the side table. It's in a simple frame, relatively small in comparison to the ones hanging on the walls around the room.

It's a picture of an older man with a strong chin and lively blue eyes, his arm wrapped firmly around a young girl with matching eyes and equally vibrant smile. Kenshin immediately recognizes the girl as a younger version of Kaoru-dono. _So this must be her father._

He leans over and lifts the picture up to look at it more closely. In the photo she has her arms wrapped around the man's midsection, beaming at the camera with just as much enthusiasm as the man she's holding. On the bottom-right corner, he sees a note written in marker—_Father's birthday, '08._ Belatedly, he recognizes the rose-red sweater that her father has on as the one he's currently wearing. He looks up from the picture and down the hall towards Kaoru-dono's room before he gently sets the frame back down. Idly, his fingertips graze the fresh bandage on his cheek.

_Much too kind_, he thinks, turning over.

Sleep does not find him for a few hours yet, but when it does, he dreams of orchids and rain.

* * *

**Japanese Vocabulary**

**-****Yatai****- A traditional Japanese food stand.**

**-****Oden****- A Japanese dish that's popular in the winter, containing several ingredients (like eggs, daikon, fishcakes, etc.) that's stewed in a light, soy-flavored dashi broth.**

**-****Okayu****- a thick rice porridge**


	2. It's natural to be afraid

**Oh my gosh, I wasn't expecting such an insane amount of support for this fic****! In just the first week of Chapter 1 being up, I've already had an amazing amount of feedback. I'm so grateful to all of my readers, followers, and reviewers. You guys seriously make my day!**

**I was expecting this chapter to be longer than it is, but I ended up cutting it in half to make chapter 4 because I thought it would flow better. Please be patient with me and I hope you like it anyway! Again, thank you all so much for following this and for putting up with my general nonsense. You guys are the best.**

**Disclaimer: I will never own RuroKen, no matter how badly I want to. ****Sob****.**

* * *

"_I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on this earth will be blessed through you."_

_-12:3_

* * *

The pounding on the door is forceful and incessant. It echoes like a thunderclap through the flat and like a shot Kenshin is up and searching blindly for his sword. When he does not find it within reach, he's momentarily confused until the memories of yesterday come flooding back. He suddenly remembers where his sword is, where _he_ is, and who is slumbering down the hall. Dread fills him.

Gangs hold grudges. He's intimately acquainted with this fact. For lackeys such as the ones he had encountered yesterday, losing out on new bodies oftentimes means losing out on pay. And if there is one thing that Kenshin has learned from his time in the slums, it is that being cheated out of one's money is a perfectly acceptable reason to hunt someone down and make them pay in blood. He swallows thickly, the pounding of his heart synchronizing with the pounding on the door.

Kenshin had managed to lose them by ducking and weaving through the labyrinth of Tokyo alleyways, but it's naïve to think that they would just give up searching for him when he is the reason why they did not manage to capture that girl last night. She had been a young, pretty thing; well-dressed with a ribbon in her hair and fire in her eyes—it sickens him that he knows just how much she would have been worth on the black market. It's almost guaranteed that they're still furious about losing her, and by some chance one of them had managed to spot Kaoru-dono with him… he has to take a deep breath to calm the nausea.

How could he be so selfish as to have stayed and endanger her like that? He should have left last night, not stayed and eaten and bathed and slept and been _comfortable_—

The banging grows more frantic and his eyes harden as they scan across the room for impromptu weaponry. It's startling to think of how easy it is for him to slip back into this militaristic mindset, but right now he foregoes reason in favor of well-honed instinct. Regardless of his choices the gangsters had followed him, expecting both retribution and compensation. An eye for an eye and a girl for a girl. He glances down the hallway towards the door of the girl who had taken him in and his quaking nerves steel.

"_Jo-chan!" _Kenshin can hear the gruff voice shouting through the door between the heavy-fisted beatings. "_Jo-chan, it's me, open up!"_

The words don't really register in Kenshin's mind, only their biting tone. Hardened eyes take quick inventory of his surroundings. There are plenty of blunt objects in the apartment, but fighting with them would make his movements slow and clumsy. His opponent sounds large and from the ferocity of his banging, strong. Speed would be his ally, and if he can find an opening, he could attack. And he _would_ find an opening.

Kenshin's fists tighten and he can feel the scabs on his knuckles cracking, but the stinging only gives him a center of focus. _Focus._ The banging pauses only for a moment before starting up again with fervor.

"_Jo-chan, if you don't open this door in the next __**five seconds**__ I'm bustin' it down, ya hear me?"_

Kenshin's amethyst eyes are fixated on the door with a predatory intensity. His wiry muscles flex and twitch restlessly beneath sore, bruised skin, but he ignores the pangs of discomfort. He focuses instead on the door, the bangs, and the steady in and outs of his own breath.

"_Five, four, __**three**__—"_ The man bellows, enunciating each number with a _bang_. Kenshin's fingernails dig into his palms in anticipation. His keen hearing picks up more noises coming from the opposite side of the flat, and he turns with shock to see Kaoru-dono charging towards the door with fury rather than fear. It confuses him, throwing him off enough to actually take a moment to process what he's been hearing.

"All right, all _right_ already!" Kaoru-dono shouts angrily, storming across the room and throwing open the deadbolt. "I swear on my father's school that if there is so much as a scratch on my door you are _dead, _you stupid rooster!"

Kenshin steps towards her in concern as Kaoru-dono rips open the door to reveal a tall, irate-looking young man. He's dressed in a pair of white track pants and a red half-zipped hoodie, sleeves pushed up to his elbows with bandages swirling down his forearms and torso. His scrunched brow is covered by a red headband, although it does absolutely nothing to keep his wild mane of chestnut hair out of his dark brown eyes. He gnashes the fishbone in his teeth with irritation as he forces his way inside.

Kaoru-dono thrusts her calloused finger roughly against his chest and manages to sound threatening despite the man being almost a foot taller than her. "Do you have any idea what time it is? Don't you have even an _ounce_ of consideration?"

"Consideration is why I'm here, Jo-chan. Now where is he?" The man demands, pushing her aside to barrel further into the apartment. His head snaps this way and that until his sights fall on Kenshin. The man jabs a finger in his direction and narrows his eyes. "_You!"_ Kenshin bristles, inconspicuously shifting his stance into one that is more accommodating for defense as the man approaches. Reason tells him that Kaoru-dono obviously does not regard him as a threat, so he shall not act unless given a reason to.

The man snarls at him. "Who're you, and what kind of trouble did you get in that Jo-chan found you all fucked up?"

"Sanosuke, you're being rude!" Kaoru-dono snaps, arms akimbo. "Leave Kenshin alone. He's done nothing wrong!"

The man, Sanosuke, throws her a look over his shoulder. "Jo-chan, you don't even know this guy. You found him half-dead in an alley. Aren't you even a _little_ curious as to how he got there?" Sanosuke-san turns back to him, eyeing him accusingly. Kenshin doesn't miss the way that he slides himself between him and Kaoru-dono. "So what is it, sparky? Owed your dealer money? Gang fight? What?"

"_Sanosuke!_"

Kenshin sighs heavily, holding up a hand towards Kaoru-dono. "It's alright, Kaoru-dono. Sanosuke-san's concern is a valid one."

"See? Even _he_ agrees with me!" Sanosuke-san says, throwing his thumb back at Kenshin. Kaoru-dono glares at him.

"Why does it matter what put him in that alley? Kenshin has been the definition of a perfect gentleman the entire time he's been here, which is more than I can say about _you,_ Sano."

"Oi, don't go pointin' fingers at me. I'm just tryin' to make sure you don't get yourself murdered because your latest charity case turns out to be a criminal." Sanosuke-san snorts. He swirls the fishbone around his mouth with his tongue and sinks down into an armchair, not bothering to move any of the clothing that's on top of it. He props his long legs up on the coffee table and gestures for Kenshin to sit down. "So, Kenshin, was it? Start talking."

Kaoru-dono is hovering by the couch now, arms crossed tightly over her chest. She's chewing on the inside of her cheek and Kenshin silently hopes to never be at the receiving end of the look that graces her heart-shaped face. She turns to him, ultramarine irises imploring. "You don't have to tell him anything you don't want to, Kenshin."

"Will you stop being stupid for like, ten freakin' seconds? Shit." Sanosuke-san snaps. He rubs his eyes with his thumb and forefinger, sighing. "I mean come on, Kaoru. Have you even tried to ask what his deal is? What if he's being hunted down or somethin'? You know how Tokyo is getting."

Kenshin shifts uncomfortably on the couch. His arm throbs dully, but it's not as distracting as the blood rushing in his ears. Adrenaline still buzzes in his veins and it makes him uneasy, but he controls himself enough not to fidget. In fact he is so unnaturally still in his apprehensiveness that he must remind himself of small, rudimentary things like blinking. Sanosuke-san seems too distracted in lecturing Kaoru-dono to notice his tension, however. He glances at the young lady out of the corner of his violet eyes. She is now sitting on the armrest of the couch, lips pursed in indignation.

Sanosuke-san crosses his feet at the ankles and slouches in his seat. He uses the fishbone to pick at his teeth like a toothpick. His eyes slide to Kenshin expectantly and Kenshin meets his gaze, straightening in his seat.

"Sanosuke-san is right, Kaoru-dono. Tokyo is not a safe city, and gang crimes are becoming quite common. It's reasonable for him to be concerned for your safety, that it is." He closes his eyes and grimaces. His mind is muddled with memories of a young boy and freezing water and high-pitched screams and blows to the stomach. He shakes his head. "If it will make him rest easier, then this one shall answer any questions that he has."

Sanosuke-san smirks, sitting up a bit. His boots scrape on the table and Kaoru-dono almost vibrates with barely-contained fury. "Well it's nice to know that somebody is willing to cooperate with me." He looks pointedly at Kaoru-dono who angrily sticks her tongue out at him before turning back to Kenshin. "So let's start with the most obvious questions. Where are you from?"

Kenshin frowns, thinking of the small cottage he'd called home all throughout childhood. Something bitter creeps up his throat. "This one grew up just outside of Niigata. But I did spend a good amount of years in Kyoto when I was younger."

"So what're you doin' here in Tokyo, then?"

"This one is a wanderer. I was passing through, that I was."

"And why's that? Runnin' from something?"

Kaoru-dono frowns disapprovingly. "Sano, that's Kenshin's business!"

"It's alright, Kaoru-dono. This one does not mind answering." Kenshin gives a small smile to appease her. It seems to work because while she doesn't look particularly thrilled, she does not argue further. "This one wanders in order to help people. There is much suffering across Japan and this one merely wishes to help as many people as I can."

Sanosuke-san hums as he appraises his answer. He sucks on the fishbone loudly in thought. "A missionary, huh? So you're not connected to any gangs? _Kaiten-tou?_ _Yakuza_? Nobody?"

"No."

"And no drugs?"

"None."

Sanosuke-san sits up and leans towards Kenshin, narrowing his eyes skeptically. Kenshin can feel his _ki_ radiating from him in waves, brash and unequivocal. It's an honest, stubborn ki and despite the somewhat hostile interrogation, Kenshin finds himself appreciative of such an upfront person. He's spent many years dealing with people whose ki would flutter and swirl like smoke from a fire, dark and secretive with their intentions. It's refreshing to meet someone who for once is forthright about their motives.

He holds his gaze and after a long moment Sanosuke-san gives one curt, decisive nod. The young man crosses his arms before announcing, "I believe you."

Kaoru-dono looks bewildered. "So what, that's it?"

Sanosuke-san shrugs, smirking as he slips back into his lackadaisical slouch. "Whaddaya want from me? The guy's got good eyes." He turns to give Kenshin a grin and immediately he can feel his tense muscles relax a fraction as the man's threatening air goes lax.

Kaoru-dono's exasperation is evident in her heavy sigh. "You're unbelievable, Sano."

Sanosuke-san sniggers. "You know it."

Kaoru-dono quirks a brow. "Wait. How did you know that Kenshin was even here? I just brought him home last night."

Sanosuke-san shrugs. "_Jī-san_ told me. I stopped by his place earlier for a quick patch job and he mentioned that he was coming over here to check Kenshin out."

"Wait, you got into _another _fight?"

"You say it like you're surprised or somethin'."

She slaps her forehead with her palm, groaning. "Honestly, Sanosuke."

Sanosuke-san pumps his bandaged right fist in the air for emphasis, a cocky grin on his face as he announces that he had managed to win ten thousand yen on the fight. Despite his lingering anxiety, Kenshin manages a small smile as he watches the two's exchange. He stands and they pause briefly to look at him. His polite guise settles back onto his face and he gestures a hand towards the kitchen.

"As an apology for troubling you both, might this one be allowed to cook you breakfast?"

* * *

It takes a few minutes of polite arguing with Kaoru-dono to convince her to relent to something she views as her personal responsibility, but soon enough he is in her kitchen whisking eggs and dicing vegetables. He laughs at Kaoru-dono's surprise at the discovery that she even owns a whisk in the first place.

"This one takes it that you do not cook often?" Kenshin smiles over his shoulder at Kaoru-dono as she rummages through the cabinets for dishes. He can spot the rosy blush spreading on her cheeks as she reaches for the glasses. Sanosuke-san cackles from his seat in the other room.

"Are you kiddin' me? The only meal Jo-chan here knows how to cook is charcoal." Kenshin watches as Kaoru-dono whips around on her heel and in one fluid motion hurls a plastic cup at Sanosuke-san's head. He whirls around in his seat, rubbing spot on his temple where the cup had connected. "_Oi!_"

"Make yourself useful and set the table." She says breezily. "I'm going to go change."

Sanosuke-san rubs his head with a grumpy pout. "Hey, isn't that my shirt?"

Kaoru-dono waves him off as she disappears down the hall. "Maa, you left it here ages ago and I needed a sleep shirt."

"I want that back."

"If you stop insulting my cooking and start doing your own laundry, then maybe I'll consider it."

He scowls as Kaoru-dono disappears into her bedroom and shuffles into the kitchen to begrudgingly do as he was told. "Violent _tanuki_ woman," He grumbles, setting the plates around the table. Kenshin is amused at how the large man bends to his hostess' will despite his complaints.

"You two seem close." He says.

Sanosuke-san glances at him and a small smile pulls at the corner of his lips. "Yeah, I guess. I mean, we grew up together so I've known her for forever at this point. She's kinda like my kid sister." He scratches the back of his head. "Not gonna lie, I came here ready to crack some skulls earlier thinkin' you were gonna be some punk. I guess I kind of owe you an apology, huh?"

Kenshin shakes his head. "You do not need to apologize, that you don't. As you said, she is like your sister. It's natural to be protective of her." He turns to throw the diced onions into the frying pan. "This one can understand why. Kaoru-dono has a very big heart, that she does."

Sanosuke-san looks at him with an almost thoughtful expression before bursting out into a guffaw. He claps Kenshin hard on the back, making the smaller man jump. "You know, I like you." He declares. Kenshin smiles weakly in return and fights the urge to wince in pain from the force of the man's amicable gesture.

The two men fall into a pleasant silence as Sanosuke-san continues setting out the dishes and Kenshin tends to the food. By the time Kaoru-dono reemerges in a pair of jeans and a light maize cardigan, breakfast is already served and waiting.

"Kenshin, this tastes amazing!" Kaoru-dono exclaims with awe after taking a bite. Sanosuke-san wastes no time sampling his cooking as well, shoveling his own omelette into his mouth as fast as his injured hand will allow him to. When Kenshin finally seats himself, the man is already reaching for seconds.

He smiles brightly. "I'm glad that you enjoy it. It is the very least one can do to repay Kaoru-dono's hospitality, that it is." He turns to Sanosuke-san, who has yet to come up for air, and chuckles. "It seems that Sanosuke-san enjoys it as well, that it does."

Sanosuke-san looks up from his plate, rice clinging to the edge of his lips. "_Sano._ Don't call me '_-san'_. Makes me sound old." He says around a full mouth. With a smirk he swallows and looks across the table towards Kaoru-dono, who is scowling at his poor table manners. "Hey Jo-chan, you should let Kenshin cook more often. His food is _way_ better than your culinary flops."

This time it's her slipper that connects with his face. It nails him square in the nose and lands in his food. Sanosuke rubs it, indignant. "Oi, what's with all the abuse today, huh?"

"You're the one who's been nothing but rude today. If my cooking is really that horrible, then don't eat it!" She hisses, slamming down her chopsticks. "You're the one who's always coming over here looking to bum some free meals, you freeloader!"

"Hey, _you're_ the one who's always preachin' about helpin' the poor and downtrodden."

"You're not downtrodden, you're just stupid!"

Kenshin holds up his hands, attempting to bring peace. "Oro! Kaoru-dono, Sano! You should stop arguing, that you should!" But he sighs as his words go completely unheard over their squabble's growing volume. With defeat he picks up his chopsticks, dodges a bowl of rice and cup of tea, and murmurs a small "_Itadakimasu_."

* * *

Doctor Oguni arrives just after nine. He's a shorter man with kind eyes and cheeks like ripe red apples and his voice reminds Kenshin of soothing things, like running water and the sound of rustling reeds. It's a fitting voice for a man who has dedicated his life to healing others. He bows his head in apology for taking so long, citing his two granddaughters as the reason for his tardiness.

"Getting two little girls ready for school is always a feat. You'll learn when you have children of your own one day." He smiles, setting his bag of instruments down on the coffee table.

"Only you would consider nine in the morning to be tardy, Oguni-sensei." Kaoru-dono giggles. The old man waves her off with a shake of his hand.

"Old habits die hard, my dear. Back when I was in the military, the day was half-over by nine." He turns to Kenshin, who finds himself feeling oddly singled out by the comment. He brushes the feeling off as paranoia from his earlier overreaction.

After breakfast he'd been kicked out of the kitchen by Kaoru-dono who insisted he rest while she and Sanosuke cleaned up, so he's seated in one of the armchairs in the living room. He goes to stand and greet the older man with no small amount of difficulty; his body has begun to feel the effects of his strenuous movements earlier. Doctor Oguni must notice this because he raises a hand and tells him not to trouble himself.

"I can consider us even if you can forgive me for not bowing as well," The man jokes. "My back is not what it used to be."

"Not at all, Oguni-sensei. Please forgive this one for troubling you so much." Kenshin manages to bow his head and chest in apology.

"Such manners!" He exclaims. He turns to Sano, who is sprawled across the couch beside him. "And you were worried about Himura-san here hurting our dear Kaoru-chan."

Sano shrugs. "Can't be too careful. Knowing the tanuki, she'd take in a serial killer if he looked like he could use a hot meal."

Kaoru-dono sticks her tongue out at Sanosuke as she adjusts her purse strap over her coat. "Come on, I want to go to the store. I didn't get to go last night and I'm officially out of rice and eggs. Speaking of which, thank you again for breakfast, Kenshin. It was wonderful."

Kenshin returns her smile from his seat. "No trouble at all."

Kaoru-dono sets her sights on Sano, who is prying himself off of the couch. "Hurry up, I want to beat the rain back!"

Sanosuke grumbles, scratching the back of his head as he follows her out the door. "Why do I gotta come with you, again?"

"Because you don't expect me to carry back groceries for three all by myself, would you? Especially since I'm feeding you. It's the least you can do!"

"Yeah, yeah…"

The door shuts behind them, muffling the sounds of their pattering. Kenshin turns his attention from the door to Oguni-sensei who's chuckling as he digs through his medical bag. "Those two haven't changed one bit since they were children."

"They both have very strong personalities, that they do."

"And strong heads. Stubborn as oxen, that pair. But they mean well."

Kenshin smiles and brushes his fingertips against the bandage on his cheek. "I know."

* * *

_I should have asked him what he likes to eat._

Kaoru stares down at the fairly basic list in her hand—_eggs, rice, milk, veggies, fish, soy sauce, dashi, nori, tofu—_with a furrowed brow. Now that Sano is back in town she'll have to double her food supply, but she already knows what he likes: meat, rice, and anything deep-fried. But Kenshin…she doesn't know where to even start. He seemed to like the mackerel they had the other night, but then again her father always said that hunger was the best seasoning. And to be able to ignore _that_ culinary monstrosity's flavor, he must have been starving.

She frowns. He's got muscle on him, that much she can tell, but he's wafer-thin. After seeing the way he ate last night she had vowed to herself that she was going to put some meat on his bones, but she wants it to be with food he likes! It's obvious that he's had a rough time without knowing all of the details, so Kaoru wants to make sure that he's as at-home as possible during his stay.

Kaoru wanders down the toiletries aisle as she contemplates dishes she could make for him with the vague memory that she's almost out of shampoo. She pauses as she passes the male body wash.

_I should probably get him some,_ She thinks, _he probably isn't going to want to smell like my girly floral stuff the entire time he's here._ Kaoru picks up a bottle of shower gel and pops the lid, taking a small sniff. It's a musky, clean smell with a strong note of sandalwood. She lifts another one and sniffs it as well, this time being greeted by the smell of pine.

"_Oh my God!_"

Kaoru's neck snaps around to look down the aisle at two girls huddled near the facial scrubs about six feet away. The taller of the two, a girl with long, dark hair tied back with a bright pink ribbon, hushes her friend loudly. She looks around and locks eyes with Kaoru, who quickly looks away.

"Be quiet! I don't want everybody finding out I almost got _snatched up._" Kaoru can hear the girl hiss. "Could you imagine if _Oji-san_ heard? I'd never be allowed to leave the house again!"

"But you almost got _kidnapped_ last night! How do you expect me to react?" The other girl gasps.

Kaoru glances out of the corner of her eye to see the girl with the ribbon pull the sleeves of her sweater down over her hands, but the act is in vain as they simply ride back up her forearms. Beneath the light purple fabric she can see the faint hint of rope burns marring her fair skin. Something in Kaoru's blood goes cold at the sight.

"But I didn't! I'm totally fine!" She protests, crossing her arms.

"How did you even manage to get away from so many guys?"

Eavesdropping is a nasty habit, but Kaoru can't help it. Her mother always used to say that she was a naturally curious child, and her father would never really discourage the practice because he was just as guilty of it as she was. So she moves closer inconspicuously, pretending to browse for shampoo. She risks a peek again.

The girl's bravado has visibly deflated, face marred by concern. "There was this weird guy," She starts. "He came out of nowhere and started beating on them. I don't know how he managed to do it, but he cut me loose and gave me an opening to run by trying to fight the creeps." She rubs her wrist absently and frowns. "I didn't even get to thank him, he just took off. I hope he's okay, though. Those guys did a number on him."

"Do you remember what he looks like? Maybe if you see him again you can give him a proper thank you."

She hears a giggle and a fierce _'stop it!_' before their voices start to trail off. They're walking away now, voices growing fainter amongst the average bustle of the store. Kaoru has to strain to make out what the girl with the ribbon says.

"I don't think I could forget someone that strange if I tried. I mean, he was really short for a guy. And he had this _crazy_ red hair…"

Kaoru's heart jumps to her throat as she stares down at the bottle of body wash in her hand. _Red hair?_ It couldn't possibly—Kaoru looks up to the girls but it's too late; they've already disappeared around the corner. She bites her lip, fighting to choose whether or not to pursue them when she feels a large hand clamp around her shoulder. She jumps a bit and looks back to see Sano standing there with three large bags of something that Kaoru knows from experience to be completely void of any nutritional benefits.

"What's with you?" He asks her. "You look like you saw a ghost."

Kaoru stares dumbly for a moment before laughing weakly. "Oh! Yeah, I guess I just got distracted. I was trying to pick out a body wash for Kenshin." She swallows as Sano stares her down before shrugging and plucking one of the bottles from her hands. He drops it in her basket and turns on his heel, marching down the aisle towards the registers.

"Well get your head outta the clouds and hurry up. I want lunch, woman."

He careens into a promotional display when the second bottle of body wash smacks him in the back of the head.

* * *

Oguni-sensei helps him shrug off his sweater. He does not understand the small raise of the older man's brows until he glances down and sees the ugly purple bruises blooming across his chest like dahlia blossoms. _Well,_ Kenshin thinks, _that explains the tenderness._

The doctor begins the exam by applying firm pressure to each rib to check for fractures. Kenshin stiffens beneath his touch out of pure instinct; his mind hasn't fully settled from the scare earlier and he's still on edge. Years of sharpened survival skills have taught him not to let someone so close to such a vital part of his body and he has to fight the urge to sink deeper back into the chair to create more distance between them. His eyes flicker to the door.

Oguni-sensei informs him that he cannot find any fractures on his ribs, but that the bruising is extensive and will take at the very least two weeks to fully heal. He unwinds the bandages from Kenshin's arm to examine the gash beneath it as well. Kenshin looks away, hoping that the kind man does not press for answers. He doesn't, and Kenshin is thankful. But relief is a short-lived mercy.

"So," Oguni-sensei says as he dabs at the wound with an alcohol-doused cotton swab and a pair of tweezers, "Where did you serve?"

Kenshin jumps. His violet eyes grow wide as he meets the doctor's knowing gaze. The old man's face does not hold any sort of contempt or aggression, but a rather melancholy expression. His own face is jolted.

"How did you—"

"I can see it in your eyes, my boy." His voice is low and somewhat sad. "They're gentle, but I can tell. You don't spend forty years as a military medic without coming to know the eyes of a man who's seen battle."

Kenshin bows his head. The room is silent as the doctor continues his attentions. "I served in Kyoto about ten years ago. I was a member of the _Tokushu Sakusen Gun_." The cotton swab freezes against his arm. He cannot see his face, but Kenshin can hear the surprise in his voice when Oguni-sensei speaks.

"You were a member of the Special Forces Group?" He stops, realization dawning on him. "So that means that you were serving during the—"

Kenshin nods. The unfinished sentence hangs in the air like a curse.

Oguni-sensei goes quiet. After a moment of silence, he continues to dab at the wound on Kenshin's arm. "I see. I know better than to pry any further. That was a difficult war for a regular soldier; I can't even begin to imagine what you must have seen. You have my respect." He pauses, as if debating whether or not to continue. He opens his mouth and closes it again before finally saying, "And my deepest apologies."

Kenshin finally meets Oguni-sensei's eyes. He searches them for something, anything like what he's used to seeing: disgust, loathing, fear. He is not expecting sympathy. But this is what he sees glimmering dully in the old man's eyes. The look deepens his crow's feet and ages him twenty years, and resentment knots in Kenshin's gut that a man with such a pure-hearted mission has to have such worn-down eyes.

He gives a soft smile to the man to relieve him. It does not reach his eyes, but it is an expression that he has spent a decade mastering and he can see it working as the good doctor's shoulders relax. Kenshin has never really known what to do with pity, so he just bows his head mechanically and thanks him for the thought.

* * *

"We're back!"

Kenshin perks up from his spot in the kitchen, bent over the sink scrubbing dishes. Kaoru-dono walks in with a handful of groceries followed closely by Sano who resembles a well-stocked pack mule. He rushes over to help the larger man but nearly doubles over when he runs straight into Sanosuke's extended foot. Even though the blow almost winds him, he can't help but be impressed with the man's balance.

"Woah there, buddy. You're in no shape to be doin' any heavy lifting, so go relax. Jo-chan and I will take care of this stuff."

"But this one—"

Sanosuke raises his foot again and Kenshin immediately clamps his mouth shut and scampers away to the sink. Kaoru-dono set the groceries on the table and Kenshin can almost hear the smile in her voice as she starts to unload the food.

"So what did Oguni-sensei say?"

Kenshin pauses as he scrubs the frying pan in his hands. Slowly, he continues the mindless circular pattern with the scouring pad. "Oguni-sensei said that this one's wounds aren't as serious as they could have been. I'm very lucky, that I am."

"I'll say. You're lucky that you didn't catch pneumonia by the time I found you." She turns to Sanosuke and swats him lightly on the chest for emphasis. "He was soaked to the bone!"

Kenshin laughs along with Sanosuke, but he's a liar if he said it was from genuine amusement. By the time Oguni-sensei had left, Kenshin had felt as if he had been peeled raw. Between the poking and prodding from the exam and the doctor's unexpected questions, the auburn-haired man had been left both mentally and physically exhausted. The encounter had drudged up old memories that he'd been hoping would be left to rot, and the hour between his departure and Kaoru-dono's return had been spent in a deafening silence as his mind went rampant.

"Kenshin?"

He turns around when he feels a small finger tap his shoulder. Kaoru-dono's bright indigo eyes greet him. "Are you okay? You seem distracted."

Kenshin gives her the same smile that he had given Oguni-sensei. "I'm fine, just a little sore from the check-up." She searches his eyes, for what he does not know, before giving him a half-smile of acceptance. She looks like wants to say something but decides against it, and it makes him curious.

"Ah, of course…" She decides to say, flashing him a strange smile. She's fiddling with something in her hands and before Kenshin can ask what it is, she shoves it towards him. He blinks and examines it; a bottle of sandalwood-scented body wash. He looks at her questioningly. A small blush dusts her cheeks as she stammers an explanation as he pops open the lid and sniffs it.

"I hope you like the scent; I just figured that if you're going to be here for a little while, I might as well get you something since you probably didn't want to go smelling like a girl every time you bathe. I probably should have asked you if you had a preference before you left—"

Kenshin silences her by holding up a hand. Even with bitter thoughts still looming in his head, the smile he gives her is a legitimate one. He's almost surprised at how effortless it is for his lips to quirk upwards when the rest of him feels like lead. "Thank you for thinking of me, Kaoru-dono. You didn't have to."

She smiles with relief, and somehow Kenshin feels a little lighter. "I'm glad you like it."

"Oi, if you two are done having your weird soap moment, can we start on lunch? I'm starvin' here."

Kaoru-dono's smile switches to a scowl almost instantly. "Excuse me, you lazy bum. Who paid for that food?"

"And who carried it? C'mon Jo-chan, I think I've earned my share."

Kenshin shakes his head with a small grin. "Shall this one help with lunch, then?"

Sano points at him, voice stern. "Hey. What did I just get through sayin' to you? Go relax, we've got this." His serious expression melts into a smirk. "Besides, we're doing _yudofu_ for lunch. Not even Jo-chan could screw that up."

Kenshin watches with concern as Sanosuke manages to dodge a small bundle of scallions and a package of tofu. "Oro, Sano, if you value your head you may want to quit teasing Kaoru-dono, that you might."

"Nah, too much fun." Sanosuke cackles, which only seems to make Kaoru-dono's mood worse. A sense of foreboding fills him, and he makes a hasty retreat down the hall to place his new soap in the bathroom.

* * *

Kenshin closes the door behind him, flipping the lock. The sounds of Kaoru-dono and Sanosuke's bickering have faded to white noise as he staggers to the counter. He leans heavily against it and stares grimly at himself in the mirror. If at all possible the bruise-like bags beneath his eyes have darkened. He fills the basin with cool water and splashes it on his face.

The burst of cold water wakes him up a bit and rids him of the clammy feeling that's been building on his brow. He watches the droplets as they run down his unbandaged cheek and trickle down his neck. For the briefest of moments in the flourescents of the bathroom the water is a deep crimson red and he sucks in a sharp breath, squeezing his eyes shut. His knuckles go white as he clutches the edge of the sink to steady himself.

One, two, three, four deep breaths before Kenshin is able to open his eyes again. He glances down at the small bottle of body wash on the counter beside him, and he becomes hyperaware of the water droplets snaking down his skin.

_Don't worry, my boy. I won't say a word._

Kenshin swallows as he recalls Oguni-sensei's words from earlier. The elderly man had been understanding of Kenshin's request to keep Kaoru-dono in the dark about his past involvement with the military.

_I've had to do things that I'm not proud of during my deployment,_ He had said to the doctor, _and if at all possible, I do not wish to burden Kaoru-dono or any others with my past. _

But still, Kenshin feels dirty. He doesn't like lying, doesn't like the feeling of looking into Kaoru-dono's big blue eyes and bending his words to shield himself. She's an honest person with a trusting heart, and every moment he's here he feels as if he's taking advantage of her. Yet Kenshin knows it's for the best; his past comes with demons, not all of which have been laid to rest. He spots his dirty purple scarf hanging on the back of the door behind him. _Yes_. The best way to repay her kindness is to keep her in the dark and far, _far_ away.

Two weeks, Oguni-sensei had said. Two weeks and he would be healed enough to resume travelling. Two weeks and he can walk out Kaoru-dono's front door and never look back.

A loud crash echoes from the kitchen and a faint curse follows. Kaoru-dono sounds chipper as she calls him to lunch. He stops to stare at the scarf for a long time before finally opening the door to join them.

_Two weeks_, he thinks, _and not a day more_.

* * *

**Japanese Vocabulary**

**-****"Jo-chan"****: "missy", "little miss". Sano's nickname for Kaoru.**

**-****"Jī-san/Oji-san"****: "Gramps"/ "Grandfather". The former is Sano's nickname for Oguni-sensei.**

**-****Kaiten-tou****: "Heaven's Clan"; (see RuroKen chapter 8.5)**

**-****Yakuza****: The famous Japanese mafia/mob.**

**-****Itadakimasu****: "I humbly receive"; often said before meals. Can be compared to phrases such as "bon apétit" or saying "Grace" before eating.**

**-Tanuki: A racoon dog. One of Kaoru's nicknames.**

**-****Dashi****: A type of cooking stock/soup that forms the base of many dishes, such as miso soup.**

**-****Nori****: Dried seaweed**

**-****Tokushu Sakusen Gun****: The special ops division of the Japanese Ground Self-Defense Force. Often called "Japan's Delta Force".**

**-****Yudofu****: A kind of tofu hot pot. A popular winter dish.**

**I've also gotten a good variety of questions it seems, so I'll answer a few to clear things up: As for the flowers that Kenshin dreams of in chapter one, in hanakotoba (flower language) Camellias (particularly red ones,) represent true love. For samurai, however, they're considered bad luck. **

**Orchids on the other hand have a variety of meanings, such as "love, beauty, refinement, thoughtful, maturity", etc. They're considered excellent representations of love because they can grow in diverse and even difficult situations. **

**As for where Kenshin's trusty sakabatō is, you'll find that out in chapter 3! **


	3. Just to see a little blood

**Okay I've finally updated _Solitude_ so I don't feel _too_ bad about shifting literally all of my attention to this, lol. It's terrible how entranced I am with plotting this fic; I've got a document filled with future quotes/snippets/scene outlines and it's becoming difficult to put them all in a linear, coherent plot. Ahhh. Hopefully you'll all be patient with me as I slowly spiral into insanity.**

**Again, the _biggest_ thank you to all of my readers for not only supporting this story, but for putting up with my general incompetence; y'all are the marshmallow fluff to my peanut butter sandwich.**

**This chapter is a beast in comparison to my usual ones; over 11K+ words! This chapter was really difficult to write because [ACTUAL STORYLINE PLOT] and [FIGHT SCENES], both of which I'm learning to do as I go, so please forgive me if it seems a little choppy. _Sob._ I've also noticed that I always have the Kenshingumi eating. This is just getting ridiculous. I'll shut up now.**

**As always, I own nothing save for my raging inner desire to _rock_.**

**[PS This chapter is T+ for ass whooping and pretty much everyone's potty mouth.]**

* * *

"_It is not good for the man to be alone."_

_-2:18_

* * *

Quite frankly, the man is an enigma.

Kenshin is a sweet man who's two parts humble and ten parts baffling conundrum. He's a sinewy slip of a man, soft-spoken and almost aggravatingly polite with a bowed head and unassuming ambience. But Kaoru can sense the iceberg looming beneath his smiles: something so large and so encompassing that its gravity draws her to him like a prodding, intrusive moon.

Kaoru watches him during his stay and so far has learned a handful of things. They're little things, such as how he seems to prefer oolong tea to barley in the evenings or how he always saves his rice for last when he eats. One night when she hears Sanosuke swearing in defeat from the living room she learns that he plays a phenomenal game of _shogi, _but the next day she learns after several hands of cards that he's awful at _Daihinmin. _He walks like a cat but he's easy to startle, and while he shows no partiality to music he seems to really enjoy the sound of passing cars and the wind chime hanging by her front door.

What Kaoru notices the most about him, however, is that Kenshin doesn't sleep well.

Over the course of a week and a half, Kaoru sees his hollowed cheeks fill out and his bruises turn a hundred different shades of blue and green and yellow, but the bags beneath his eyes are perpetual. One restless morning in particular Kaoru arises hours before her usual wake-up time and finds him propped against the wall on the far side of the living room with one leg drawn to his chest and his head bowed in a fretful sleep, bedding completely untouched. It concerns her, and she voices this concern over breakfast one morning when he seems to be falling asleep over the stove.

"Kenshin, are you alright?" She asks. His head perks up in a delayed response and turns to her with a somewhat sleepy smile.

"This one is just fine, Kaoru-dono. Why do you ask?"

Kaoru picks at her rice with her chopsticks, frowning. "Well, you're practically falling asleep on your feet. Have you been sleeping alright?" She already knows the answer, but something makes her want to hear him say it.

But he doesn't; Kenshin merely hums and turns back to the stove, poking at the omelette pan with a pair of chopsticks. He has quickly taken over the position of chef, insisting to pay Kaoru back in some way for allowing him to stay as he recovers. She had initially refused, thinking it rude to make her injured guest cook for them, but after a bit of bullying from Sanosuke she had relented. So now Kaoru sits and watches him prepare their breakfast with a furrowed brow.

"This one has never really slept well," Kenshin says. His answer is vague, but his tone is chipper as ever. The kettle on the stove shrieks to life and Kaoru sees him jump slightly, but when he turns to her with two mugs of fresh green tea his expression does not elaborate.

Kaoru nods a bit hesitantly, unsure of whether or not to press the matter. Her irresolution must be clear on her face, because he offers her a smile as he sets a cup down in front of her. "Kaoru-dono shouldn't trouble herself over it, that she shouldn't."

She doesn't comment, but instead looks down into her cup of tea and watches the wisps of steam swirl into the air. Her hands wrap around her mug, greedy for the warmth it provides. It's a particularly chilly morning, and she suspects it's because her auburn-headed guest had left the window open again. It's a habit that seems to bring him some sort of comfort, which she can tell for him is a rarity, so she keeps silent about the draft.

Sanosuke is much less accommodating as he bumbles into the kitchen, half-asleep and bleary-eyed.

"Why's it feel like the friggin' arctic in here?" He slurs. It's clear he's just rolled out of bed because his eyes are unfocused slits as he collapses into his chair with little grace. Kenshin apologizes sheepishly, pouring Sano a cup of tea as well. The young man wastes no time in letting the drink cool, opting to instead chug it while it's still hot enough to scorch his insides. Kaoru watches him with a grimace as he sighs, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand in satisfaction. "That's a little better."

"I'm sorry about the cold, Sano." Kenshin says as he flips the first _tamagoyaki_ onto a plate. He sets it down in front of Sano, who wordlessly starts to devour it like a sluggish zombie. "I'll try to keep the window shut from now on, that I will."

"Why'd you keep it open in the first place?" He asks with a full mouth. "It's noisy."

Kenshin sets Kaoru's plate down and then his own, settling into his seat. "This one is just used to the noise of the city, that I am." He takes a small bite of his food, and Kaoru watches the tension in his jaw as he chews from the corner of her eye. "It's nice to remember that there's life outside of one's own head."

Kaoru opens her mouth to say something, but she sees the private glint of shadows in Kenshin's eyes and decides to sip her tea instead. Breakfast continues on as a quiet affair, but his words echo in her head all morning.

* * *

"You need to relax, Jo-chan."

Kaoru sucks her teeth, tugging at the strap of her bokken bag. It's digging into the side of her neck, and she curses the fact that she forgot her scarf at home before leaving for her job at the Maekawa Dojo. "I'm not going to _relax_." She says. "Something's bothering him, and I want to know what it is!"

Sano snorts, hands in his pockets. Despite the harsh January chill, he's only in his usual hoodie with the addition of his newly reclaimed t-shirt. "Nosy, ain't ya? Aren't you the one who's always goin' on about how there's always some stuff that people would rather keep to themselves?"

Kaoru blushes, scowling. "I know, I know. I'm just—_concerned_. Kenshin hasn't been sleeping well at all. I mean, have you seen the bags under his eyes? He looks like someone punched him!"

"Well don't look at me."

Kaoru elbows him hard in the side and Sano sniggers. "I'm being serious!" She scolds. "He's not going to heal properly if he doesn't get any sleep. Maybe he's sick?"

Sanosuke shrugs. "I don't know. I mean, he was in pretty crappy shape when you found him, right?"

She hums. Her mind drifts uneasily to the man currently back at her apartment, undoubtedly doing something absurd like rearranging her bookcase or polishing her silverware. It's a fairly recent development, this impromptu role of housekeeper that he seems to have adopted. It started out as small things, like offering to fold the laundry while he rested on the couch or helping to put away the dishes after dinner before retiring, until soon enough the laundry and cooking were entirely within his domain.

Kaoru was adamantly against it at first, saying that he should be resting and should try watching television or reading a book if he's desperate for something to alleviate the boredom of bed rest—not _cleaning her house_. But Kenshin promises up and down that he isn't doing anything strenuous and insists that he'd much rather pass time by doing something that's actually helpful because _'Kaoru-dono has already done so much for me, that she has.'_

He's ridiculous. Courteous and gallant, yes, but completely ridiculous, nonetheless. Kenshin means well though, and Kaoru cannot deny that having an extra pair of hands helping out at home is incredibly beneficial. After all, since Sano's abrupt return to the Kamiya household her laundry load has doubled, her grocery bill has _tripled_, and she's fairly sure that her dust bunnies are now on the cusp of sentience. Sure, Kaoru makes the lazy bum help out to the extent of his asinine abilities, but now with Kenshin's added assistance her apartment has never been cleaner. He's even managed to somehow resuscitate her little orchid plant: a miracle in and of itself.

"I don't know. Maybe I should just talk with hi—"

Kaoru doesn't get to finish her thought as somebody barrels into her at full-speed. She makes a rather unladylike shriek of surprise as she's sent flying backwards, but luckily Sano has been gifted with decent reflexes and manages to steady her. Once she's set back on her feet, she whips her head towards the small figure sprawled out on the pavement in front of her.

He's a young kid, no older than 12, dressed in a pair of faded green jeans and a ratty yellow sweatshirt. He sits up and rubs his head, but before Kaoru can ask if he's even alright, the boy fixes his cinnamon brown eyes on her and hisses, "Hey! Watch where you're going, _busu!_"

Kaoru sputters indignantly. "_I beg your pardon_?"

"You heard me, you hag!"

"Now listen here, you little—" She cuts off her righteous tirade on manners whens he notices something strange lying on the ground beside him. "Wait a minute, is that a _katana_?"

At the mention of the sheathed sword lying beside him, the boy's eyes bulge in panic. Immediately he lunges for it and attempts to bolt, but Sano is able to grab him by the hood of his sweatshirt. The boy kicks and shouts as he's hefted into the air and up to Sanosuke's eye level.

"Hold it, pipsqueak. Didn't anyone ever teach you that it's rude to run into people?" The kid throws a wild punch at Sano's face, which he effortlessly dodges with a turn of his head. "And what's a little kid like you doin' with a sword, anyhow?"

The boy's face flushes with some sort of mixture of embarrassment and outrage. "I'm not a _little kid_!" He spits, as if the very words themselves are disgusting on his tongue. "I've got the blood of _samurai_ in me! I don't need to explain myself to some spikey-headed punk like you!"

"Listen, kid—" Sano dodges another kick, ignoring the boy's shout of '_I'm not a kid!'_ "This ain't the _Edo_. Swords ain't toys. Now I don't know where the hell you got that from, but I suggest you return it before you hurt yourself."

"It's not like I'm gonna cut anyone. The blade is on the wrong side!" He yells, taking another futile swing. "Now let me go!"

Sano quirked a brow, grabbing the hilt of the sword with his free hand. The boy cries his protests as he slides the blade from its sheath to examine it. He purses his lips thoughtfully. "Hey, the shrimp's right. Look at this, Jo-chan. The blade's totally reversed."

He hands the blade over to Kaoru. She's momentarily surprised by its weight; her own style of kenjutsu shies away from using live steel, so she's only ever been disciplined in the use of wooden swords. But despite her inexperience, she has been educated well enough to appreciate both the craftsmanship and the rarity of the blade. She turns it over in her hands, admiring the light as it dances on the edge of the sword.

"It's a _sakabatō._ I've only ever read about them before. Only a few are still around that aren't in museums since they weren't very practical weapons." She looks up to the irate child. "Where on earth did you get this?"

The boy crosses his arms and sticks out his tongue. "That's none of your business, ugly. And it may not cut anything, but it's practical enough for what I need it for!"

"What could you possibly—"

"**_Freeze!_**_"_

The three turn to see two out-of-breath police officers at the end of the street, pointing at the boy in Sano's grip. The kid's eyes nearly bug out of his head in panic and he swears, doubling his efforts to get out of the larger man's hold. "Crap. Lemme _go_, you moron! Hurry, _hurry!_"

"Wait a sec!" Sano yells, struggling to keep hold. "Why do you got the cops—"

Sano swears loudly when the boy suddenly nails him in the side of the head with the scabbard of the sword. He drops him in favor of clutching his throbbing skull, and the kid wastes no time snatching the sword from Kaoru's shocked hands and breaking into a mad dash in the opposite direction. "Later, busu!" He calls over his shoulder.

"You little shit!" Sanosuke shouts angrily as the two cops frantically sprint past them. He goes to chase the kid as well, but Kaoru grabs his sleeve. "Kaoru, are you slow? We gotta catch that little street rat!"

"Leave him," She chides. "The authorities are already after him. All that'll come from you chasing him is getting _your_ butt landed in jail, too."

Sano rubs his head with a sour expression, but relents. "God, kids these days got some hell of a nerve," He snaps. Kaoru looks down the street with a frown where the policeman's heads disappear into the crowd of pedestrians. She shakes her head, adjusts the strap of her bag, and turns on her heel to continue on towards the dojo.

"Agreed."

* * *

Kenshin's chopsticks clatter on the table.

"He had a _what?_"

Sano picks up his glass and takes a long chug, wiping his mouth on the back of his hand. "You heard me. The little punk had a _sword!_ Can you believe it? Nailed me right upside the head with the damn thing."

A young boy with a sword? Kenshin's pulse spikes at the thought of what this news could mean. He can hear Sanosuke continuing his rant about today's youth and their abysmal manners, but he can't hear him over the roaring in his ears. He doesn't snap out of it until Sano actually waves his hand in front of his eyes, whistling. "Oi. Anyone home in there?"

Kenshin shakes himself out of his daze and quickly picks up his chopsticks, regaining his composure. He plasters a smile on his face, albeit a strained one. "Sorry. This one was merely surprised that such a young boy would have a katana. They're not exactly commonplace anymore. What did the boy look like, Sano?"

Sanosuke gives a half-shrug. "Like a bad-tempered shrimp. Why's it matter?"

Kenshin can feel Kaoru-dono's eyes on him, and despite the excitement building in his gut, he stomps it down and merely picks at his plate. "This one is simply curious, that I am."

"Well, he looked like he could've used a bath, for one. I mean, the kid looked like he just rolled around in a pile of mud. I don't know if that sweatshirt of his was actually yellow or if it was just stained."

Kenshin has to remind himself to breathe as he slowly sets down his chopsticks and picks up his glass of water. He takes a long, slow sip and it feels like he's swallowing sand. A yellow sweatshirt…it has to be him. It _has _to be. Despite having been practically delusional from hunger at the time of their meeting, Kenshin can picture the boy clearly; patchy yellow sweatshirt, fiery cinnamon eyes, and a spirit too big for his skin.

"One wonders what such a young boy would need with a sword." He muses out loud, setting his cup down.

"Especially one that doesn't cut."

Kenshin stares at Sano with wide eyes. "Oro?"

"It's true," Kaoru-dono says. She's watching him with those bright blue eyes of hers, and Kenshin tries to ignore the beginning pinpricks of guilt that bud in his chest. "The boy had a sakabatō. Sano let me look at it; the blade was fixed on the wrong end of the hilt. It couldn't cut a piece of paper."

He tries to imagine his sword in Kaoru-dono's small, feminine hands and the thought makes him sick. Despite never drawing blood itself, that blade is tinged red with the burdens that its owner bears. Hands such as Kaoru-dono's, ones that are gentle but calloused from good, honest work should not hold something that's been molded to the hands of someone so filthy. He stands up suddenly, collecting his plate and glass.

"Perhaps not," Kenshin says thickly. His tongue feels clumsy in his mouth as he speaks, jittery and tripping over the adrenaline humming in his blood. "But just because a blade cannot cut does not mean that it is any less dangerous in the hands of someone with ill intent, that it does not. Now if one may be excused, I am feeling a bit under the weather, that I am."

He hears Kaoru-dono stammer out something that sounds like a question, but Kenshin's mind is racing too quickly to process anything other than the concern in her voice. He deposits his dishes in the sink before making a beeline for the bathroom. He doesn't look behind him, but he can feel Kaoru-dono's eyes on him the entire way.

* * *

Tonight. He has to leave tonight.

Doctor Oguni had just examined him yesterday and had said that he was almost completely healed. The splits on his knuckles and eye have long since scabbed over, and the bruises that had covered his person are now in the final stages of healing. Travel will still be unpleasant in this cold, but for the most part he's back to normal. His mind buzzes loudly with plans for his leave. Kenshin splashes cold water on his face and takes several deep breaths to calm his heart's erratic beating.

It has to be him. It's _got_ to be. How many young boys are running around with reverse-blade swords? Kenshin can only think of one. It sounds like the boy is still on the streets, and he wonders if he'd be able to find him under the bridge where they had met the first time. Kenshin feels his arms prickle with goosebumps as a cold draft flows through the crack in the bottom of the bathroom door, and part of him hopes for the boy's own sake that he's not.

A knock on the door startles him.

"Kenshin?"

It's Kaoru-dono. She sounds worried, and Kenshin forces his usual happy tone despite his smile being noticeably absent.

"Yes, Kaoru-dono? Is there something this one can help you with?"

A momentary pause. "Um…well, you seemed like you were in a rush when you left dinner. I mean, you practically threw your plate in the sink…"

"I'm very sorry if I came off as rude, that I am. This one will do the dishes as soon as I am out."

"No! No, that's not what I meant!" Kaoru-dono squeaks. Kenshin can practically imagine her standing in the hallway waving her hands frantically at the door and the image almost makes his lip quirk up a bit despite himself. "I just…you've seemed like something's been bothering you, and then after what just happened in the kitchen, I wanted to make sure you were okay."

This time, Kenshin cannot help the small smile that slips onto his somber face. "This one is just fine, Kaoru-dono, just feeling a bit sick. I'm sorry to have worried you."

And he is. He _hates_ making her worry. A woman with a heart like hers is meant to smile, always, not to fret over some vagabond she found curled up in an alleyway like a dying animal.

He can hear her small hum, and he thinks of the wind chime that she has hanging by her front door. Kenshin can hear it when the window is open, and despite the chill he can't help himself. It brings him back to long summer days running through the woods and a gruff voice pointing out stars in the sky. It's a time long since gone, but the sound brings him the comforting reminder that there was a time when life didn't used to be like this.

"Is it your stomach? I _knew_ that tofu Sano picked out looked bad. I swear, I can't trust him with _anything…_I have some antacid tablets in the other room, just give me a second."

"Don't trouble yourself, Kaoru-dono. It shall pass soon." Kenshin assures her.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"Alright…But if you need anything, shout, okay?"

"That I will."

Kenshin can hear her shuffling outside of the door, as if she's shifting from foot to foot. "Kenshin?" She asks. Her voice is soft, almost timid sounding, and for such a lively person it seems kind of strange. He takes a few steps closer to the door, hand hovering over the knob. His voice is quiet as he responds.

"Yes, Kaoru-dono?"

"If…If something's bothering you…if you ever need to talk about anything, you can always come talk to me…I just wanted you to know that." Before Kenshin can respond, however, he hears her make a hasty retreat down the hall. Kenshin puts his back to the door and slides down, pulling his knee to his chest. He sighs deeply and rests his forehead against his knee.

Why? Why is this so difficult? Kenshin knew that this was going to happen. It's not like he was going to be staying for too much longer anyway; he'd be in this same situation come a few days. But the thought of leaving still wraps his heart in barbed wires. It's just as he feared: he's gotten _comfortable_. He's used to having food, a place to sleep, a roof over his head. He's used to company and concern, banter and idle chitchat and dammit, he really shouldn't have stayed.

He _wants_ to, though. Kenshin's eyes widen a fraction the thought passes through his mind. In the dim lighting of the bathroom, surrounded by the now familiar smell of jasmine soap and laundry detergent, he admits it. He _wants _to stay. It's _nice_ to have somebody to talk to, people to share meals with. It's been a while since he's stayed somewhere for such an extended period of time. There's routine now, responsibilities to uphold and things that are expected of him. Granted, he had taken them all on by himself, but he had done so happily, and it's been so long since he's done anything happily.

He leans his head back on the door, staring at the purple scarf that's looped on a hook and dangling above him. Kaoru-dono had hand washed it for him. _'It looked delicate,'_ she had said. '_I didn't want to trust the machine with it.'_ Kenshin would smile if he didn't feel the more pressing urge to smash his head against the wall.

In the short time he's known her, Kenshin has found a certain fondness for the raven-haired girl. To be honest, it's difficult to even pinpoint what it is about her. It's probably her warmth and generosity towards him, or possibly the earnest passion she just naturally seems to tackle life with. The first time he had found out that she was a kenjutsu instructor, he had actually laughed. Not because he couldn't believe it, but because it was just so _fitting_ that he simply couldn't help himself. She had given him a good whack across the back of his head for it, but Kenshin couldn't bring himself to mind.

Perhaps it's her vehemence that one's past doesn't matter. Maybe it's her insistence on the ideals of her father's school that he's heard so much about. It's a childish ideal, the thought that a sword is meant to protect rather than take life. Kenshin's Shishou would have said it were foolish, even. But still Kaoru-dono persists, scraping and saving every spare yen she has to open a dojo and see these ideals take form in a world where violence has become the mainstream normalcy. It's a ridiculous idea, but Kenshin can't help but be drawn to her idealistic dreams like a beggar to a pile of gold.

_And it's exactly for this reason that I need to leave, _Kenshin thinks.

The last time he grew attached to someone, things took a turn for the worst. He's found a good friend in Kaoru-dono, and as he's reminded by the soft fabric hanging above him, all others are ever able to find in him is tragedy. He doesn't want to bring his demons to this house. He _won't_ bring them here. Not to this home with this girl with a heart too big for her own good. His two weeks have come, and he will repay her kindness by honoring it.

As he exits the bathroom he notices with a morbid sort of humor that his scarf looks like a hanging noose.

* * *

He doesn't have to wait long.

Sanosuke had gone to his usual haunt, the Akabeko, for a few drinks not long after dinner had ended and Kaoru-dono retires for the evening soon after he exits the bathroom. He waits an hour to be safe and as soon as he hears no noise coming from his hostess' bedroom, Kenshin makes quick work of gathering his things.

He changes out of the clothes that Kaoru-dono has lent him, folding them neatly and laying them out on top of his bedding before putting on his jeans and t-shirt. He collects his scarf and the toothbrush Kaoru-dono had bought him from the bathroom. He picks up the body wash she had given him and slides it into the pocket of his coat before returning to the living room. Kenshin is careful to tread lightly as he passes her room.

His handwriting is atrocious, and Kenshin desperately hopes that Kaoru-dono will be able to read the note he leaves on top of his pile of clothes. There are a hundred things he'd like to say, but in the end he keeps it simple. He balls his hand inside his pocket as he stares down at it, running his thumb over the cap on the bottle of body wash. As a last minute thought, he takes it from his pocket and gently sets it on top of the note.

With one final look around the apartment, he flicks open the deadbolt and slips out the front door and into the chill of the night.

* * *

_Something isn't right._

Kaoru turns over in her bed for the umpteenth time that night, chewing on her bottom lip as she ponders the redhead in her living room. He's been acting strange for the last few days, and then there was the incident at dinner tonight. She frowns, shifting so she's lying on her back. The fan above casts long shadows across the ceiling, and in the distance she can hear cars laying on their horns.

_It's nice to remember that there's life outside of one's own head._

He had said it like a passing thought, but Kaoru had seen the way that Kenshin's eyes had seemed to change. It was as if they had glossed over, dulled from their usual amethyst to a hazy mauve. There was something meaningful behind his words, something that hints once again to that iceberg. Kaoru doesn't know what it is, but she's determined to help however she can.

With a new resolution, Kaoru throws off her blankets and makes her way to the living room to speak with him. She's quiet as she makes her way down the hall, hoping to avoid waking him if Kenshin's managed to somehow fall asleep. He rarely sleeps well, so she refuses to interrupt him if he finally is.

"Kenshin?" She says softly. The room is silent, and Kaoru relents, settling to speak with him in the morning.

Before turning around, she spots that the deadbolt on the front door is unlocked. She rolls her eyes and makes a note to scold Sano for forgetting to lock up when he gets back as she pads over quietly and flips the deadbolt into place. Every time he stays here, he always forgets! Kaoru momentarily considers stapling a reminder to his forehead and snorts loudly at the thought. She slaps her hand to her mouth.

_Idiot! _She scolds in her head, praying that she didn't wake him up. The fact that he's actually asleep is a miracle, and she wouldn't forgive herself if she'd woken him up. But when she finally looks over she sees the distinctive absence of Kenshin's slim figure on the couch. In fact, the bedding is still folded neatly and looks as if it hadn't been used at all.

"Kenshin?" She calls out again, this time a little louder. Only silence and the increasingly loud beat of her heart responds. Kaoru is about to check the bathroom but halts when she sees a strange object lying on top of the blankets as she passes. Picking up in her hands, her stomach lurches when she recognizes it as Kenshin's bottle of body wash. She glances down at where it had been laying and sees a small piece of paper. The feeling of dread grows tenfold as she skims down the letter.

The handwriting on it is like chicken scratch, but Kaoru makes out the only three words she really needs to:

_Thank you. Goodbye._

Kaoru stands in the living room clutching the note and the bottle of body wash, reading the words over and over again. _Thank you. Goodbye. _Over and over she reads them, until the words seem to lose all meaning.

"He left?" Kaoru whispers. The bottle and note fall from her hands as she stares dumbly into the darkness of her apartment. Why would he leave? She knows that this was inevitable, but she wasn't expecting him to leave so soon. He didn't mention anything about it.

Kenshin's presence these past two weeks has come to be welcomed. Expected, even. Since he's come to stay here the house actually feels _lived_ in. She no longer has to fear wandering the house in the dark, or letting food spoil in the fridge because she'd bought too much, or keeping the radio blaring just so she doesn't forget what other people sound like. It's a selfish kind of thought, but Kaoru wishes to meet the person who lives alone and genuinely enjoys it.

Kaoru sinks down onto the couch. If he were planning to leave, he would have said something, right? She thinks back to the last few days, back to his behavior. He had been reserved as normal, eager to help and never without a smile. There was nothing about him that would have signified a desire to leave. He was even planning to come with her to the dojo tomorrow!

A car passes by outside, its headlights illuminating the small orchid on the windowsill.

This isn't right. In her bones she can feel it; that iceberg lurking beneath still water. The one that drags him under, that overshadows even his brightest grin. The one that she can see flashes of in his eyes when he's not careful. Kenshin never complains, never asks for anything, even for help. Even when he could barely move when he was still healing, he never asked for help. Kenshin's only ever asks how he can help.

Outside she hears the wind chime and disembodied voices of people passing on the street.

_It's nice to remember that there's life outside of one's own head._

Kaoru balls her fists.

_No_. He's not leaving. She won't let him. If Kenshin wishes to leave, then Kaoru will let him go, no questions asked. But he's not leaving; he's running. Kaoru may not know exactly from what yet, but she will. Kenshin is her friend and if he needs help, then she's going to do everything in her power to help him.

She jumps from the couch and rushes to her room, hastily throwing on a pair of jeans, sweatshirt, and sneakers before grabbing her bokken from its stand. Kaoru only pauses long enough to glance at the orchid on the sill before running out the door and slamming it shut behind her.

* * *

Kaoru's breath comes out as puffs of vapor as she runs down the street, clutching her bokken tightly in her hands. The air is bitingly cold tonight, nipping at her cheeks and cutting through her light sweatshirt like knives. Because of this the streets are unusually vacant, and Kaoru doesn't know whether to call it luck or misfortune.

"Kenshin!" She calls, stopping briefly at every alleyway she passes to peer in, in the hopes of spotting a familiar mop of red hair. She searches for nearly an hour to no avail, until she finds herself by the riverbank, cold and shivering. She's doubled over, holding her knees as she tries to catch her breath. The air hurts her lungs and her legs are burning from the strain, and she's about to give in when she hears the faint noise of someone shouting. Kaoru perks up, glancing over the incline and down towards the riverside.

Kaoru can make out the vague shapes of a group of people huddled around something, but from her angle she can't see. It's only when the laughing men hold the subject up in the air that Kaoru realizes what's happening.

In the hazy yellow light of the streetlamps, Kaoru recognizes the young boy as the kid from earlier that day, being held up by the front of his shirt. The man holding him up leans in and says something Kaoru can't hear before punching the boy hard in the gut. He throws him to the ground like a piece of trash and the men surrounding them erupt in laughter as the man begins to kick him.

"Hey!" Kaoru hollers, immediately racing down the incline. "_Hey! Get away from him!"_

The men look up as she bounds towards them, and the one kicking the boy straightens up as she throws herself in front of the his crippled form. He's a cocky looking guy with his hair styled into a large spiked bouffant, lips schooled into an arrogant grin. "Well what do we got here?" He smirks.

"I'm not going to tell you again," Kaoru warns, taking a readying stance with her bokken. "Leave this boy alone, and I won't hurt you."

"I don't need help!" The boy rasps out behind her. "Get out of here!"

Kaoru ignores the boy and stands her ground. The man takes a step towards her. His eyes hold a predatory glint, but she won't back down.

"You might wanna listen to the little punk over there. Didn't anybody tell you that it's dangerous for women to go walking alone at night?" Several lecherous cackles erupt from the group, and Kaoru bristles. She takes a step back.

"Don't come any closer," She warns again, tightening her grip on her bokken. She's trembling from the cold and something she refuses to call fear, but she clenches her teeth because somebody needs her right now, and she isn't about to back down to the likes of this filth. The man takes another step towards her.

"Come on, don't be like that." He grins lasciviously. "We just wanna have some fun."

They close in around her like a pack of rabid wolves, eyeing her like a scrap of meat. One makes a grab for her arm and she sidesteps, cracking her bokken down on his arm. He rears back and she lunges to meet him, delivering a blow across his chest that sends him to the ground.

"You little bitch!" Another shouts, charging her. She dodges his grip, whacking him in the shoulder before cracking him across the face. He too falls, and she turns back at the ready.

The leader snarls, enraged. "I'm done playing. Get her."

The group closes in, pouncing all at once. Kaoru holds her own, fending them off with well-placed hits and sharp, practiced katas. It's only until the head of the gang steps up that she faces a challenge. He's tall, fairly well-built with a menacing glare. She swallows, redjusting her grip as the others seem to back off with his unspoken command.

She takes a deep breath and charges, a shout escaping her lips as she swings. The man raises his forearm to block it, grinning. She leaps back, digging in her heels before attacking again. This time she manages to connect with his shoulder, but he shrugs off the hit easily. And so their dance continues for a minute or two, until Kaoru is frustrated and angry. He's standing there looking smug, as if her attacks have barely winded him.

_I don't get it, h__e should be down by now! _She thinks, infuriated. _I've had enough of this!_

Kaoru lets out a cry of anger, swinging for another attack but this time he manages to catch it with his hand. He yanks her towards him, a move that sets her off balance. She trips towards him as he leers at her from over her sword, bending it enough to crack it. Kaoru doesn't have a chance to dodge when he backhands her so hard across the face that she sees stars.

She falls to the ground, disoriented from the blow. Her eyes water from the pain and she rubs her cheek with her hand. Her damaged bokken clatters to the ground beside her, but when she dives for it the bastard kicks it out of her reach. She looks up towards the man who had slapped her with a snarl as he's handed a heavy metal chain.

"I think this bitch needs a little lesson in manners, don't you think?" He grins, wrapping the chain around his knuckles. The rest of the crowd makes catcalls of approval, and Kaoru pales.

"Leave her alone!" The boy yells, leaping towards the man. He easily bats him away with an elbow like a fly, and the boy goes tumbling across the ground. He turns to him with a snarl.

"Wait your turn. I'll deal with you in a minute, you little piece of shit. First, I gotta teach Girlie here some respect."

He raises his arm and Kaoru squeezes her eyes shut as the chain comes down at her like a whip, bracing herself for the impact.

* * *

Kenshin pulls his scarf tighter around his neck, turning his collar up against the harsh winter cold. Part of himself wishes to just turn around and return to the warmth of Kaoru-dono's apartment, but he reminds himself of just why he's chosen to leave by focusing on the missing weight on his left hip. He sighs, trudging onwards.

He had been by the bridge earlier but had found no one. Being familiar with the lifestyle of the homeless, he assumes that the boy had been cleared out by police and has been searching elsewhere for shelter. He remembers that the boy had, had a certain distaste for homeless shelters, so Kenshin makes his way up the riverbank, checking under every bridge and overhang he finds in the hopes of locating him.

When he hears the sound of voices up ahead, he perks up in excitement until he draws close enough to see exactly what he has stumbled upon. Sure enough, Kenshin finds the boy but he's sprawled across the ground like a broken, discarded toy, surrounded by a large group of sinister-looking men.

The group's collective ki makes Kenshin want to throw up. He's familiar with these ki's; he'd fought them not even two weeks ago. But tonight they're particularly vile, and when Kenshin sees the reason for it his heart nearly stops as his worst nightmare is realized.

_Kaoru-dono?!_

It's her, Kenshin is sure of it. There's no mistaking her bright, flickering ki, but it's subdued at the moment, smothered with fear. She's curled up on the ground, shielding herself as the group of men surround her like a pack of wild dogs. Kenshin doesn't need ki sense to understand their intentions, and the thought makes him sick.

The man towering above her raises his arm and as soon as Kenshin sees the glint of the chain in the streetlights, his body moves on its own.

* * *

The chain comes swinging down, and Kaoru hears it connect with flesh, but feels nothing. She's momentarily confused, until she hears the man swearing and opens her eyes to see a familiar mane of auburn hair.

"Kenshin?" She gasps.

Kenshin doubled-over, shielding her with his torso while his right arm is thrown out to his side to block the chain. She can see him shaking from the effort it takes to tug back on the chain, but his face betrays nothing. He looks at her and her breath catches in her throat at the sharpened look of his eyes.

"This one told you that you shouldn't wander alone at night." He chastises. "Are you unhurt?"

"I-I—" She stammers. Kaoru can hear the men shouting from in front of them, but her eyes are completely fixated on the redhead staring at her. His face is schooled into his normal smile, but it's as if his aura has completely morphed. The air around him seems to crackle from the intensity of it and it makes Kaoru bristle. She opens her mouth but her eye catches movement from over his shoulder and she has no time to shout as the man trains his gun on the back of Kenshin's head.

"_Look out—!_" The boy cries.

Kenshin gives the chain a rough tug that causes the man to fumble with his bad knee and in a motion so quick and so fluid that Kaoru almost misses it, he uppercuts the man in the jaw. He goes flying backwards to the pavement and lands hard on his back. Kaoru can hear the air force its way from his lungs in a loud _whoosh_ as his gun falls from his hand, clattering on the ground a few feet away.

"I was speaking to Kaoru-dono," Kenshin says coldly. "It's rude to interrupt."

Kaoru stares disbelievingly at the thug's crumpled form, thought process screeching to a halt. Kenshin, the sweet, bumbling man who cooks her breakfast and folds her laundry just decommissioned a man twice his height with a single blow. Her brain reels with the effort it takes to process this.

Kenshin's turns to her again as if he hadn't just punched another man in the jaw, but suddenly he's as rigid as stone. If it wasn't for the fact that her entire consciousness is honed in on his right now, Kaoru is sure that she would have missed the slight raise of his brows and the widening of his eyes when he finally spots what must be a fantastic bruise blooming on her left cheek.

"They hit you." He breathes.

Something in his amethyst eyes shifts, twisting to something dark and hostile that makes Kaoru's stomach churn violently. He suddenly releases her and rises to his feet, turning away. He unwinds the chain from around his forearm before reaching for her discarded bokken. Kaoru's mouth opens and closes uselessly, tongue thick from shock and confusion. She fumbles to say something, to tell him to run, to get away from them because he's clearly outnumbered and all he's arming himself with is a splintering sword, but all that comes out of her mouth are jumbled noises.

"May I?" He asks her. Language eludes her, but he must take her silence as permission because he lifts the sword and weighs it experimentally in his hand.

"Just who the fuck do you think you are?" One of the men yells. Someone must recognize him from somewhere, because another adds, "Hey, isn't that the punk who broke Gasuke-san's nose a couple weeks ago?" A loud chorus of realization ripples through the men.

Kenshin ignores them, turning to the young boy. The boy looks a little worse for wear, but his eyes are still bright and alert. They widen and he stammers out, "It's you!"

Kenshin does not acknowledge the boy's surprise. "Yahiko, can you stand?"

Yahiko shifts some of his weight and winces, but nods. "Y-Yeah, I think so."

"Good. Do you think you can run?"

"Uh, yeah." He says hesitantly. "Probably."

Kenshin pats the boy on the shoulder before taking him by the hand and hoisting him to his feet. "I need you to take Kaoru-dono and run. Go to the Akabeko and find a man named Sagara Sanosuke. Then, find the authorities. Can you do that?"

"Ye-Yeah."

Kaoru watches the exchange with a dry mouth. The words aren't processing—nothing is making sense. Then she feels Kenshin's hands gripping her arms, the same hands that he had just used to block a metal chain and _knock someone out_, lifting her up to stand on unsteady feet. Her eyes watch him with incredulity, but she feels another tug on her arm. This time it's Yahiko urging her to run, but her limbs are like anchors, her entire being fixated on the man before her that suddenly a stranger again.

"Ugly, come on!" Yahiko yells, yanking at her sleeve. But she doesn't listen even though she should. How can she? Everything is moving in slow motion around her, and Kenshin—_Kenshin!_—is crouching into a stance that she does not recognize, about to take on upwards of ten armed men, and the only thing that seems real about any of this is the throbbing ache of her cheekbone. The click of a gun cocking cuts through the fog.

"_Move!"_

The gun goes off and her body surges to life. Suddenly she's sprinting, fast and hard, away from the group and away from Kenshin. She shouldn't, but she turns around with barbed wire in her throat and fire in her lungs and _please let him be okay—!_

She turns in time to watch him take a single step and vanish like a mist.

* * *

They're not prepared for his speed, and that's exactly what Kenshin had been hoping for. The last time they had fought, his movements were slow and jerky from a mixture of hunger, exhaustion, and exposure, but now he's back to form. It's obvious that these men have never been formally trained in combat and if they have, only the bare basics. They rush at him in a disorganized cluster and he can't possibly ask for an easier target.

It takes him a moment to adjust to the significant weight difference between his katana and Kaoru-dono's wooden bokken, but Kenshin manages in time to land a swift blow to his first opponent's stomach. He doubles over from the force of the blow and Kenshin uses this momentum to spin himself around and brings the sword down hard on the man's back. Kenshin hears a low _crack_ and the man drops to the cement, wheezing.

Years in the military have tuned Kenshin's senses to an almost inhuman efficiency, so he is easily able to hear the sound of the second man's chain whip slicing the air long before it manages to connect. Kenshin sidesteps it and lets it twirl and catch on the bokken. He yanks the sword and the man fumbles towards him. He lands a kick on the man's chest that makes him release the whip and Kenshin cracks the bokken across his head before spinning on his heel to face the remaining group.

"You son of a bitch!" One roars, charging him. Kenshin races towards him and meets his _wakizashi_ head-on, the blade biting into the wood of the bokken. The wood groans in his hands, crack growing. He hears the click of a cocked gun behind him and Kenshin immediately drops to the ground. The bullet catches his opponent in the shoulder and the man screams with pain, dropping his blade to clutch his bloodied arm. Kenshin scoops it up, flipping the blade to its dulled side with a flick of his wrist.

_Two, three, four—_

The man continues to fire off rapidly at Kenshin, and he keeps careful count of the number of rounds fired off in his head as he bobs and weaves around the chaotic mix of bodies that try furiously to catch him. One bullet screams past his left ear as he lands the flat of the wakizashi's blade against one man's nose before turning to smash the end cap of the hilt into the side of another's neck.

"You dumb shits! How hard is it to land a goddamned hit?" The man with the gun howls. "Quit fucking around and _kill him_!"

One takes a mad swing at him with an aluminum bat. Kenshin lifts the wakizashi to block it and the force of the impact sends shockwaves coursing down his left arm. The man's greasy face splits into a sneer when Kenshin flinches.

"Ain't so tough, are ya?" He mocks, shoving hard against Kenshin's blade. He doesn't dignify the man with an answer, but instead chooses to ignore the pain and smashes the bokken into the man's exposed side. The man hollers like a wounded animal as Kenshin kicks him into another opponent. They collapse to the ground in a frenzied tangle of limbs and the redhead wastes no time turning to face the rest of the brood.

An influx of bodies rages towards him. Kenshin turns tail, willing his feet to gain traction on the wet pavement as he sprints towards a nearby floodwall. His muscles burn from the exertion, pulse thrumming with adrenaline. It's a familiar, heady sort of feeling that simultaneously elates and disgusts him. He hears a roar of frustration as another two rounds whizz past him.

_Five, six—_

And then he sees it.

* * *

"Are you _slow? _Move it!" Yahiko hisses, tugging her hard on the arm. They're running up the riverbank, but Kaoru's movements are clumsy because she keeps stopping to look back at Kenshin.

He's like a demon in human skin; lightning fast with merciless accuracy. Kaoru watches him take down two, three, four men with nothing but her bokken and now a wakizashi, cutting through the mass of men as if they were merely blades of grass. The sound of a gunshot pierces the icy air, and Kaoru's knees give out when she loses sight of Kenshin in the throng of bodies. She doesn't realize that she's not breathing until she spots his mane of red, zigzagging through the crowd like a trail of fire.

"What are you doing?" Yahiko demands. "Get up, we gotta go!"

Kaoru doesn't dare to take her eyes away from the fight as she says, "Go without me."

Yahiko drops her sleeve, cinnamon eyes wide with disbelief. "Are you stupid or something?" He shouts. "If they catch us, we're screwed!"

"I'm not leaving him behind!" Kaoru shouts back defiantly. She grabs him by the shoulders and forces their eyes to meet. "Look, you're probably faster than me anyway. So do what Kenshin said and go get help!"

"But—"

"I'll be fine," She says, voice as steady as the beat of a taiko drum. "Now don't waste any more time arguing. Go."

Yahiko looks down at his feet and over towards the fight before meeting Kaoru's gaze again. He stares at her with hard brown eyes, but after a moment gives a firm nod and takes off running. Kaoru watches Yahiko long enough to make sure that he's going in the right direction before turning back to watch the fight.

She stares at the scene with wide, astonished eyes as she watches Kenshin take down each man one by one. His fighting skills are unbelievable, and his speed even more so. The only way she can track him is by watching the other men as they fold like sheets of paper.

Kaoru hears another gunshot and a nearby lamp erupts, washing the riverbank in semi-darkness. It's both a blessing and a curse; the shadows hide her well enough to keep her from being seen, but at the same time she loses what little visual she had of Kenshin.

Two more gunshots ring out, and her blood freezes in her veins at the deafening roar that echoes down the riverbank.

* * *

_There_. Lying on the ground about ten feet away is Kenshin's _sakabatō_. Between them are several angry-looking thugs and the barrel of a gun. He braces himself before charging them.

Even with the chaos around him, Kenshin's mind whirs with cold, analytical data: the standard choice of firearms for low-ranking yakuza is a Walther P38, a semi-auto that can only hold eight rounds excluding one round in the chamber. He'll assume that the man had started off with a full set of ammunition, and if the man is as poor at reloading his magazine as he is with aiming at a moving target, then Kenshin estimates that he has about a six-second window of opportunity. It'll be risky, but he's done better with worse before.

He slides low on his heels across the slick sidewalk to avoid a stray switchblade and leaps upwards to dodge a sloppy swing of a _nunchaku, _never losing his momentum_. _A gunshot fires behind him and the streetlight above them explodes in a downpour of sparks—_seven._

_Almost there—!_

He takes advantage of the limited light to twist and weave his way towards the sword. The man's aim will be even more compromised with less visibility. As for Kenshin, he pushes the thought of how easy it is for him to track each man's movements in the shadow-lined riverbank away from his mind; he can worry about things like humanity and relapses when there isn't live ammunition being fired at his head.

He throws the broken bokken over his shoulder and dives for the sword, tucking into a role before leaping to his feet again. It's a welcomed weight in his hands, familiar and leveling. And now that he has it, Kenshin decides that it's high time that this little dance ends. He sucks in a cold breath that burns his lungs and continues on in a mad sprint towards the floodwall.

The eighth round imbeds itself into the cement wall beside him just as Kenshin scales it with quick, practiced steps. With a strong push of his legs he launches himself off of the wall like a rocket over the heads of his pursuers. It's a move that leaves him vulnerable and his target takes full advantage of this, firing off the final round at Kenshin's airborne form. He twists himself midair, serpentine and just as lethal as the bullet merely grazes his arm.

_Nine._

The man's eyes are wild with panic as he fumbles with emptying his magazine as Kenshin descends upon him like a fiery bird of prey. A furious roar rips from Kenshin's throat as he brings the blade down on the man's skull. Gracefully he lands and sheathes his sword in one fluid motion as the man stands there choking on his own tongue before collapsing to the ground, motionless.

Kenshin's peripherals catch the bastard with the chain from earlier crawling towards his gun a couple of feet away. In three swift strides, Kenshin crushes the man's outstretched hand beneath his foot. The man howls with pain as he digs his heel in.

"I would advise against that," He says flatly. The man whimpers as Kenshin retracts his foot.

He straightens and turns his icy glare on the remaining men, ki pulsating with the unspoken dare to challenge him. Kenshin looks each of them in the eyes with every bit of the ferocity that had earned him the name of _Battousai. _With a voice as cold and unforgiving as the blade in his hand, he orders them to surrender. The men stare on in a horrified silence, their weapons falling to the ground in a unanimous clamor of steel.

"The next time, I will not be so merciful." He growls. Before they get the sense to run, he strikes them all in the back of the head with the sheath of his sakabatō, rendering them unconscious save for two. Kenshin turns to them with promises of retribution in his eyes if they resist.

"You two. Go to the police and bring them here." Kenshin commands. The two men stand there, however, frozen like deer in a fear-induced stupor until he barks, "_Go!"_

The trembling men take off like a gunshot, scrambling up the slick grassy incline of the riverbank. They trip and fumble the entire way up before disappearing down the street. Kenshin watches them long enough to confirm that they're headed in the direction of the station and then turns his attention to the sprawl of unconscious bodies scattered across the cement.

"No matter where I go…" Kenshin murmurs solemnly. He sighs heavily, sliding the sheath of his sakabatō into his belt.

_"Kenshin!"_

He turns in surprise, quicky running towards the familiar voice. "Kaoru-dono?"

* * *

Kaoru is breathless as she runs to him, sliding down the slope of the bank. Her ears still ring from Kenshin's scream, and her heart feels ready to burst through her ribs.

"Kenshin!" She shouts. "Kenshin, where are you?"

She skids to a stop as the extent of the damage comes into focus in the hazy shadows of the riverbank.

Kaoru stares at the crumpled bodies of her attackers in morbid astonishment. Their low groans of pain are frequent, but otherwise the men may as well have been corpses in their stillness. It still won't process that it was _Kenshin_ who had done all of this; that it was the same ditzy man who's been living on her couch and cleaning her house and making her home feel lived-in. But she had seen it with her own two eyes, no matter how disbelieving she is of them. Kenshin had taken all of these men down with a cold and meticulous efficiency.

"Kaoru-dono?"

She looks up to see a short figure running towards her. Even in such dim lighting, she can make out his wild red hair like a beacon, and relief swells in her chest.

"What are you doing here?" Kenshin asks her. When she's this close to him Kaoru can see the sweat on the brow and the deep heaving of his chest as he tries to catch his breath. At this distance he doesn't look like a fire-haired demon, but a very concerned, very _human _man. "This one told you to run!"

A thousand different things claw up her throat, fighting to be said: '_What was that?' _or _'Where did you learn to _do_ that?'_ being two of the strongest contenders. But as he stands before her, her eyes spot a tear in his sleeve and a dark patch where the blood has already saturated the cloth, and so the first thing she blurts out is "You're bleeding."

Kenshin's violet eyes widen in confusion, and he looks at his arm as if this is the first he's heard of this news. "Oro?"

"You're bleeding." She repeats stupidly, tanzanite eyes fixated on the bright red patch of skin visible through the tear. It's practically fluorescent against his pale skin. "You got shot."

Kenshin touches his fingers to the wound experimentally. He retracts his fingers and rubs them together, examining the sticky redness. "So I did," He muses, turning back to her with a small, almost tired smile. "It only grazed me though, that it did."

And there it is; that shift, that dizzying one-eighty he pulls with little effort. Despite her daze, she's somewhat surprised at how relieved she is to hear the redhead's more habitual speech patterns. He's beside her now, examining her cheek with worried eyes that are much more familiar than those steely ones from earlier, absolutely no concern for his own injury. And for some reason, this makes her angry. Livid.

"Kenshin, I don't know if you realized what the heck just happened," She remarks with incredulity, "But _someone just shot you._"

"Oro?"

"Don't you '_oro_' me, you jerk!" She howls. Kaoru slips off her shoe and whacks him hard upside the head with it. He yelps in surprise from the blow loses his balance, and falls back on his arms. His face tells her that he's jolted by her attitude, but she can't bring herself to care: she has a point to make.

"Do you have _any idea_ how worried I was when I woke up and found your note?" She reels, waving her shoe at his face. "And while we're on the subject of your note: _really?_ You couldn't at least have the decency to say goodbye to my _face?_"

Kaoru sniffles, and stubbornly blames it on the cold and not the typhoon of emotions raging in her chest. She clutches her sneaker so tightly that her hand shakes. "You're the _worst_, Kenshin!"

The redhead stares at her, completely taken aback by her outburst. Kenshin doesn't say a word but simply stares up at her in astonishment, so Kaoru angrily turns on her heel and marches away. The cold quickly starts to seep in through her now wet sock, so she pauses in her furious retreat to slip her shoe back on. She hops around on one foot as she tries to get it on, and simply throws it a few feet away when she can't get the back of it over her heel.

"Stupid shoe," Kaoru hisses. "Stupid, stupid, _stupid_!"

"Kaoru-dono," Kenshin calls behind her.

"No. Go if you want to go." She snaps. It's freezing near the waterside, and Kaoru curses herself for forgetting a jacket. Then again, if she weren't in such a hurry to find _him_, she wouldn't have been so forgetful. She also wouldn't have been outside to begin with. In fact, she'd probably be lying at home in her bed, wishing for some sort of sound other than the deafening silence that fills each room come nightfall. She tries to swallow the lump that forms in her throat to no avail.

Suddenly, a heavy jacket falls over her shoulders. Kaoru's eyes widen; it smells like sandalwood.

"Please forgive this unworthy one for his carelessness." Kenshin says behind her. "I'm not used to having people worry for me, that I'm not."

"Well get used to it," Kaoru quips. "You're my friend, so it's going to happen a lot from now on."

"_Friend_," Kenshin says. He says it as if the word is foreign on his tongue, clunky from lack of use. A strange sort of light comes to his face. She watches him walk over to her shoe and pick it up. He offers it to her with a soft, apologetic smile. "It's been a long time since I've called anyone that, that it has."

Kaoru takes the shoe from him and the two stand in silence as she slides her foot back into it. Kenshin holds her hand to help her balance as she tugs the back of it over her heel.

"I'm sorry that you had to see this, that I am." Kenshin apologizes quietly, releasing her hand once she's finished. Kaoru looks up at him with a furrowed brow, and watches as the light slowly fades from his eyes. "I was hoping that you would never know that I was capable of such things."

"Believe me, I had no idea," She chuckles humorlessly. Kaoru glances at the unconscious figures littering the ground not ten feet from them, and she frowns. "Kenshin, where did you even learn to do that?"

"The military." He says, resting his hand on the hilt of his sword. There is no pride in his voice, but nor is there spite. Rather, Kenshin says it with a mechanical sort of detachment that makes anxiety twist in Kaoru's gut. _This is his iceberg_, she realizes. as Kenshin bows his head, refusing to meet her eyes.

"Until about ten years ago, I served as part of the Tokushu Sakusen Gun."

"The Tokushu Sakusen Gun…?" Kaoru repeats, and suddenly it hits her. She covers her mouth with her hand in shock. "You mean you were serving during the revolution?"

Kenshin nods grimly.

"My apologies that I never told you about me. I hated not telling you the truth, Kaoru-dono, but it was just something that I didn't want to talk about if it was possible." Kenshin gives her a sad smile. "After all, dogs of the regime are not exactly well-liked after what took place during the war."

* * *

Kenshin waits for her to say something, anything. But Kaoru-dono merely stands there in a stunned silence, hand over her mouth and her imperial blue eyes wide. Something flashes across her face, something that looks uncomfortably like pity, and he has to turn away.

It always ends like this: with either anger or pity. Kenshin would say that he's sick of it, but in all honesty he doubts that he has any more energy to give towards being upset about it anymore. The only regret he is able to feel is the deep regret for having deceived her for so long, especially after everything Kaoru-dono has done for him. She had given him a safe haven to rest his weary bones in, fed him until his cheeks were no longer sunken from hunger, talked and listened to him when he thought people had long since stopped, and all he's repaid her with is trouble. He pulls at his scarf around his neck before bowing at the waist.

"Forgive me," Kenshin says. "I'll go."

He doesn't get more than three feet before Kaoru-dono shouts,

"Wait a second!"

Kenshin turns around, surprised at her outburst. She's standing there with her arms crossed, staring at him with a look of…anger?

"Where do you think you're going, Himura Kenshin?" Kaoru-dono demands. "First you leave without saying goodbye to my face, then you make me run all over Tokyo trying to find you, and when I do, you make me worry about you getting yourself _killed._ You're going to need to do a _lot_ of laundry before I even _think_ about forgiving you for this."

Kenshin blinks, the meaning of her words dawning on him. Kaoru-dono puts her hands on her hips, and he can't keep himself from smiling. "Is that an invitation?"

Kaoru-dono's hand flies to her mouth again, and even in the dim light of the remaining streetlights, Kenshin can see her cheeks flush. She opens her mouth to no doubt reprimand him for teasing her at such a time, but Sanosuke's bellow cuts her off.

"Jo-chan, Kenshin, what the hell's goin' on? This shrimp just came flyin' into the Akabeko like a bat outta hell and _ho—_ly _shit!_"

The tall man comes barreling down the incline, Yahiko's shorter form not far behind him. He slows his pace to a jog as he approaches them, slack-jawed at the sight of the yakuza thugs behind them. "What the fuck happened here? And _what happened to your face?!"_

"Don't worry about it. Did you guys call the police?"

"Yeah, Tae's on the phone with 'em as we speak but_—wait, what do you mean 'don't worry about it'?!"_

Before Kaoru-dono can answer, Kenshin puts his hand on her shoulder. "It's this one's fault, that it is. I'm afraid that I haven't been completely honest with you."

"What the fuck does that mean, you haven't been '_honest with us'_?" Sano demands. He whips his head to Kaoru-dono. "What's that supposed to mean? _What in the ever-loving fuck is going on?!_"

"What it means is that we should probably get out of the cold and go back to Kaoru-dono's, that it does."

Kaoru-dono's head snaps towards him with a hopeful look and when he gives her a small smile, her eyes light up like a firework. He turns back to the other two who are much less enthused, one tired and bruised and the other ready to blow a gasket, and offers an apologetic grin.

"It's a rather long story, I'm afraid, so why doesn't this one make us all some tea?"

* * *

**Japanese Vocabulary:**

**-Shogi- Sometimes referred to as "Japanese Chess"; it's a strategy game that Sano is quite fond of.**

**-Daihinmin- Also known as "Rich Man, Poor Man" or "_Daifugo_", it's a card game where the object is to get rid of one's cards as quickly as possible.**

**-Tamagoyaki- A type of omelette prepared in a special square-shaped frying pan.**

**-Bokken- A type of wooden sword. While Yahiko is often seen with a _shinai_, Kaoru is often seen with a bokken.**

**-"Busu"- it can mean "ugly" or "hag", but is typically used to describe one's attitude. This is Yahiko's nickname for Kaoru.**

**-Edo Period- Also called the Tokugawa Era, it was the period in Japanese history between 1603 and 1867 when the land was ruled by the Tokugawa shogunate and samurai were commonplace. This was the last major era before the Bakumatsu and the Meiji Era of restoration.**

**-Sakabatō- Kenshin's reverse-blade sword.**

**-Wakizashi-A type of traditional katana, but usually smaller (between 30-60cm long)**

**-Nunchaku- A traditional _Okinawan _weapon consisting of two sticks chained together. Also referred to as "nunchucks" and "danger sticks".**

**-Battousai- literally "Master of Battō"; Kenshin's nickname during the war and in this AU, his codename.**


End file.
